Quote of the Day: "The happiness of life is made up of minute fractions—the little soon-forgotten charities of a kiss, a smile, a kind look, a heartfelt compliment in the disguise of a playful raillery, and the countless other infinitessimals of pleasurable thought and genial feeling. " -Samuel Taylor Coleridge
It's always so great to find out that they're expecting snow in new ways. It's even better, though, when you are totally clueless about why someone THINKS it's going to snow. Today, as I was driving back from the casino over in Oklahoma where we go to buy our cigarrettes I passed a sand truck. Now, for those of you who aren't "from around here", it's what Texans think you do before snow... you go out and dump a bunch of sand on the road to help it keep from getting slick. Well, I came home and checked the weather channel website, and wouldn't you know it... there's no chance of snow on there. Just a few snow showers on Monday. Definitely nothing to panic about, so I just have no clue what that sand truck was doing out there. I wonder... what happens to the sand after they put it down... maybe they were driving around "vacuuming" it back up for the next storm?
I've been having a really terrible day. The day itself hasn't been all that bad, per se. I got up and paid bills this morning, so all our Feb bills are paid. I went to class this morning in Vernon and all we did was sit and take a test off the projection screen. Very dull stuff. Oh, and I found out my grade for that test I thought I bombed the other day. I got an 84 on it - definitely passing! But I really do need to work on my math before the HESI test comes around. Heaven knows it's my biggest downfall. So I'll be working on that over the next few weeks, and right up until State Boards. THAT way, if I do fail, it won't be because of shoddy math skills. Which causes a lot of people to fail, from what I've heard. We'll see, though.
But all that wasn't the worst of my day. The worst is the fact that time is just not going fast enough for me. I know, Ron is going to be home in nearly three weeks. But that is NEARLY THREE WEEKS!!!! I am so tired of wating around, hoping that news will come that he'll be home sooner. I want to scream and yell and throw myself on the floor and have a tantrum! It's so frustrating to know that it's so close, but just not close enough. I wish that I could go to sleep for the next two weeks and sleep right through until the day he lands at DFW. I have a LOT to do in the meantime to keep me busy, but it doesn't stop my mind from thinking about him. I think about him all the time, and it's making the time seem to go by a lot slower. I am so excited that this will all be over soon. I feel the same way I used to feel during that last month of pregnancy, when I was so anxious and excited and just ready to get it over with. Another chapter of life finished. Just a couple of weeks, and my baby will be in my arms! Surely I can find enough to keep me busy until then with all the studying! :)
Friday, February 26, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Day 182: February 25th, 2010
Quote of the Day: "Sometimes I wish I were a little kid again, skinned knees are easier to fix than broken hearts." ~Author Unknown
I just had the priviledge of spending the entire day with some of the tiniest little babies I have ever seen. Surely not as tiny as SOME people get to see, but they were definitely small compared to any I have ever dealt with. Today was my clinical day to spend in the nursery at the hospital, and it was a pretty unique experience, which I probably won't forget any time soon.
I don't know what I expected, really, maybe lots of really loud screaming and crying, as I'm used to babies doing. But these precious little angels did very little of that. It was really dark in there when I walked in, but it was SO quiet. All those tiny little angels sleeping peacefully. I was surrounded all day by tiny little feet no bigger than half my pinkie, itty bitty little fingers. And oh! Those cute little puckered mouths - my absolute favorite part of babies. There is nothing in the world cuter than a baby-pucker! We had six little ones to help care for, and not a single minute of the day was boring. On the contrary, watching a little baby sleep can be the most relaxing fun you could ever dream of having. I was caring for this little baby who was a little over three pounds at birth, and I just could not get over how small and fragile they look. Notice I said look, though... they really are tough little things. You want to know what a fighter looks like? Go visit a nursery sometime. It's a pretty humbling experience.
Once I got accustomed to the nursery and was able to feel like I had "found the groove" so to speak, it was like being transported back in time and holding Damien and Cody for the first time. I think maybe God designed us so that holding an infant would release chemicals into our bloodstream that would foster an insntantaneous urge to protect. And there's nothing better than seeing a freshly-born baby come into the nursery with Dad right there, gloating happily and taking pictures. I can't remember if Ron got to go visit the nursery or not, but it's like a sacred place. You just can't help but feel awed by it.
There is a dark side, however, in working with babies. Sometimes you have to deal with the dark side of society. The side that slides down into drugs and alcohol. The side where a mother can't control herself or her addictions, and a tiny little life is affected, sometimes permanently, by her poor decisions. Those are the instances which break your heart, the ones that make you wish that you made just enough money, had a bigger house, could take those babies in and make sure that they get a better life than the one which they will probably be made to suffer through to adulthood. If they even make it that long, that is. Sometimes the babies are lucky and will be placed into loving foster families who can watch over them. But the opposite can happen as well, where the foster family becomes more abusive than what they would have endured at the hands of drug and alcohol addicted parents. Either way you look at, the only ones who are really suffering are those tiny little creations born with birth defects or drug addicted. The ones who have to fight just to survive from the moment of their birth, then once they are released from the hospital have to keep fighting just to KEEP surviving against the odds. No wonder there are so many sad stories in the world.
The good news is, I went the whole day without once thinking that I wanted another baby! Yay me! HAHAHA
I just had the priviledge of spending the entire day with some of the tiniest little babies I have ever seen. Surely not as tiny as SOME people get to see, but they were definitely small compared to any I have ever dealt with. Today was my clinical day to spend in the nursery at the hospital, and it was a pretty unique experience, which I probably won't forget any time soon.
I don't know what I expected, really, maybe lots of really loud screaming and crying, as I'm used to babies doing. But these precious little angels did very little of that. It was really dark in there when I walked in, but it was SO quiet. All those tiny little angels sleeping peacefully. I was surrounded all day by tiny little feet no bigger than half my pinkie, itty bitty little fingers. And oh! Those cute little puckered mouths - my absolute favorite part of babies. There is nothing in the world cuter than a baby-pucker! We had six little ones to help care for, and not a single minute of the day was boring. On the contrary, watching a little baby sleep can be the most relaxing fun you could ever dream of having. I was caring for this little baby who was a little over three pounds at birth, and I just could not get over how small and fragile they look. Notice I said look, though... they really are tough little things. You want to know what a fighter looks like? Go visit a nursery sometime. It's a pretty humbling experience.
Once I got accustomed to the nursery and was able to feel like I had "found the groove" so to speak, it was like being transported back in time and holding Damien and Cody for the first time. I think maybe God designed us so that holding an infant would release chemicals into our bloodstream that would foster an insntantaneous urge to protect. And there's nothing better than seeing a freshly-born baby come into the nursery with Dad right there, gloating happily and taking pictures. I can't remember if Ron got to go visit the nursery or not, but it's like a sacred place. You just can't help but feel awed by it.
There is a dark side, however, in working with babies. Sometimes you have to deal with the dark side of society. The side that slides down into drugs and alcohol. The side where a mother can't control herself or her addictions, and a tiny little life is affected, sometimes permanently, by her poor decisions. Those are the instances which break your heart, the ones that make you wish that you made just enough money, had a bigger house, could take those babies in and make sure that they get a better life than the one which they will probably be made to suffer through to adulthood. If they even make it that long, that is. Sometimes the babies are lucky and will be placed into loving foster families who can watch over them. But the opposite can happen as well, where the foster family becomes more abusive than what they would have endured at the hands of drug and alcohol addicted parents. Either way you look at, the only ones who are really suffering are those tiny little creations born with birth defects or drug addicted. The ones who have to fight just to survive from the moment of their birth, then once they are released from the hospital have to keep fighting just to KEEP surviving against the odds. No wonder there are so many sad stories in the world.
The good news is, I went the whole day without once thinking that I wanted another baby! Yay me! HAHAHA
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Day 181: February 24, 2010
Quote of the Day: "If you’re going through Hell, keep going." -Winston Churchill
You know, you think you're going along just fine, running smooth, and then things just start to collapse on you. I think I may have failed my test today in class, which was a total bummer. I was already kind of down because of finding out that there were so many people who applied for the same position that I did. I spent most of the day walking around like a zombie because I was feeling so tired, worn out, and just flat-out down.
Then I got a phone message sometime while I was in class, so I checked my phone on my break and it was Ellen, the Postpartum manager called to set up a date for a 2nd interview. So I returned her call and now have an appointment on Tuesday morning. So, of course, since I'm so incredibly wanting that position I spent the rest of the afternoon walking around with my head in the clouds. Until I got home, and decided it was time to go through the mail on the table.
And found a letter from the VA saying that they had overpaid Ron and that we now owe them nearly two grand!!! WHAT THE HECK?????? Geez, like we don't have enough problems already? I'm already stressed out on losing the extra pay when Ron comes home, so I really am NOT looking forward to any added stress worrying about money. Things are going to be really tight here for a while, while we get everything straightened out. So now Ron, poor thing, has to deal with the VA from over THERE. And me? I'm just going to sit here and pray really, really hard that things work out somehow. Oh, and that I get the job as a postpartum nurse... I really think that I am a perfect fit for it!
I have seen the signs, by the way... SPRING IS COMING! When I was walking up to the house from getting the mail, I saw little tiny purple flowers springing to life where I had my anemones growing last year. And I noticed that there are a LOT of trees and plants starting to bud out... maybe it's finally time for my winter allergies to disappear? That would be really nice! : )
Here are some more pictures, just for the fun of it:
You know, you think you're going along just fine, running smooth, and then things just start to collapse on you. I think I may have failed my test today in class, which was a total bummer. I was already kind of down because of finding out that there were so many people who applied for the same position that I did. I spent most of the day walking around like a zombie because I was feeling so tired, worn out, and just flat-out down.
Then I got a phone message sometime while I was in class, so I checked my phone on my break and it was Ellen, the Postpartum manager called to set up a date for a 2nd interview. So I returned her call and now have an appointment on Tuesday morning. So, of course, since I'm so incredibly wanting that position I spent the rest of the afternoon walking around with my head in the clouds. Until I got home, and decided it was time to go through the mail on the table.
And found a letter from the VA saying that they had overpaid Ron and that we now owe them nearly two grand!!! WHAT THE HECK?????? Geez, like we don't have enough problems already? I'm already stressed out on losing the extra pay when Ron comes home, so I really am NOT looking forward to any added stress worrying about money. Things are going to be really tight here for a while, while we get everything straightened out. So now Ron, poor thing, has to deal with the VA from over THERE. And me? I'm just going to sit here and pray really, really hard that things work out somehow. Oh, and that I get the job as a postpartum nurse... I really think that I am a perfect fit for it!
Here are some more pictures, just for the fun of it:
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Day 180: February 23, 2010
Quote of the Day: "Don’t marry someone you can live with, marry someone you can’t live without." – author unknown
What a day! I think my interview went really well, but it's soooo hard to tell! I want the job so badly that I just keep praying and praying that I'll at least get a 2nd interview. The problem is that the HR representative that interviewed me told me that there have been a LOT of people apply for the position, both nursing students AND seasoned nurses. And Delia said that when she was on her rotation on the postpartum floor that she overheard a conversation where a nurse was saying that she had been pushing to get her sister-in-law hired into the position. What chance do I really have? I just pray that it's what God has in mind for me, because if not, then I have NO IDEA what else to apply for. There were a couple things that I was interested in, but none of the other rotations really screamed out that it was what I wanted to make a career of. I guess I'll be stuck with Med-Surg. At least I'll get a lot of varied experience that way, I guess. They have a little bit of everything.
I had study group this evening, but I had a really hard time concentrating on anything because I'm just so darn tired from not sleeping well last night. Chalk it up to nerves or excitement or whatever, but I kept waking up and looking at the clock to see if it was time to get up and get ready to go to my interview. Hopefully I can sleep better tonight, since I have my next test tomorrow morning bright and early. Guess I'd better get up and review in the morning. Everyone wants to meet up at the school at 7:30 am to study some more before the test, but I just don't know if I've got it in me. UGH! Have to wait and see, I guess.
I'm really sad, by the way. I missed my show on Sunday, and then with going to study group tonight I missed the replay tonight, which means that for the first time in three years I've actually missed an episode. So I guess I'm through watching it now, even though I really love it. I'd be lost next week if I watched it, wondering what I'd missed, so I guess I'll have to wait and hope that they come out with a DVD so that I can watch it that way. If not, well... it's just one more thing I've had to sacrifice because of nursing school. Sigh. Only another couple of months.... then maybe I'll have a semblance of sanity.
I find myself thinking a LOT lately of Ron, and of the things that I can't wait to do with him. Like go camping, and fishing. Or go cut firewood for next winter so that it has time to season. Do yardwork. Sit on the patio in the mornings and drink our coffee together. Watch movies together. Drive to Lowe's together. There are so many things I've missed, it's hard to list everything. They flash through my mind all the time, so unless I sit down with a pen and paper every minute of the day and write them down as they happen there's no way to get everything. At least that one's only a couple of WEEKS away, not months. I hope, anyways. You never know until they actually make it home, because their flights and plans are always changing even during transit. Dangit, I really hate the not knowing part!
What a day! I think my interview went really well, but it's soooo hard to tell! I want the job so badly that I just keep praying and praying that I'll at least get a 2nd interview. The problem is that the HR representative that interviewed me told me that there have been a LOT of people apply for the position, both nursing students AND seasoned nurses. And Delia said that when she was on her rotation on the postpartum floor that she overheard a conversation where a nurse was saying that she had been pushing to get her sister-in-law hired into the position. What chance do I really have? I just pray that it's what God has in mind for me, because if not, then I have NO IDEA what else to apply for. There were a couple things that I was interested in, but none of the other rotations really screamed out that it was what I wanted to make a career of. I guess I'll be stuck with Med-Surg. At least I'll get a lot of varied experience that way, I guess. They have a little bit of everything.
I had study group this evening, but I had a really hard time concentrating on anything because I'm just so darn tired from not sleeping well last night. Chalk it up to nerves or excitement or whatever, but I kept waking up and looking at the clock to see if it was time to get up and get ready to go to my interview. Hopefully I can sleep better tonight, since I have my next test tomorrow morning bright and early. Guess I'd better get up and review in the morning. Everyone wants to meet up at the school at 7:30 am to study some more before the test, but I just don't know if I've got it in me. UGH! Have to wait and see, I guess.
I'm really sad, by the way. I missed my show on Sunday, and then with going to study group tonight I missed the replay tonight, which means that for the first time in three years I've actually missed an episode. So I guess I'm through watching it now, even though I really love it. I'd be lost next week if I watched it, wondering what I'd missed, so I guess I'll have to wait and hope that they come out with a DVD so that I can watch it that way. If not, well... it's just one more thing I've had to sacrifice because of nursing school. Sigh. Only another couple of months.... then maybe I'll have a semblance of sanity.
I find myself thinking a LOT lately of Ron, and of the things that I can't wait to do with him. Like go camping, and fishing. Or go cut firewood for next winter so that it has time to season. Do yardwork. Sit on the patio in the mornings and drink our coffee together. Watch movies together. Drive to Lowe's together. There are so many things I've missed, it's hard to list everything. They flash through my mind all the time, so unless I sit down with a pen and paper every minute of the day and write them down as they happen there's no way to get everything. At least that one's only a couple of WEEKS away, not months. I hope, anyways. You never know until they actually make it home, because their flights and plans are always changing even during transit. Dangit, I really hate the not knowing part!
Monday, February 22, 2010
Day 179: February 22nd, 2010
Quote of the Day: "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit." -Aristotle
You know what makes me really mad? Yesterday when I was at WalMart the gas was $2.41 a gallon. Today, when I drove up there to exchange a movie I bought that was cracked when I opened it, gas was up to $2.49 a gallon. OVERNIGHT! I don't know what makes me angrier, the fact that they would raise the prices that much overnight, or the fact that I should have gotten gas yesterday and didn't. Oh, well, though, it seems like that's just the way it goes lately, right? A day late and eight cents more!!! LOL
Today has pretty much been a quiet day. I finally got my laundry put away, and although I still have a load or two left to wash I can handle that. I spent a LOT of time figuring out what to wear to my job interview tomorrow. I had this really great outfit I bought specifically for it, but wouldn't you know it... now they're saying that we're going to have about a half inch of snow overnight, and it'll be around freezing when I go to my interview. So I've been weighing my options pretty heavily. I really, really, REALLY want this job, so I'm afraid to blow it by wearing the wrong thing. But such is life... not much I can do about it but do my best and hope for the best.
Damien's been home cleaning his room, and is applying for a position at the State Hospital in Wichita Falls, Cody is home being his goofy self, and life is temporarily pretty darn good. We'll see if my luck holds tomorrow! Night, people... have a great one!
You know what makes me really mad? Yesterday when I was at WalMart the gas was $2.41 a gallon. Today, when I drove up there to exchange a movie I bought that was cracked when I opened it, gas was up to $2.49 a gallon. OVERNIGHT! I don't know what makes me angrier, the fact that they would raise the prices that much overnight, or the fact that I should have gotten gas yesterday and didn't. Oh, well, though, it seems like that's just the way it goes lately, right? A day late and eight cents more!!! LOL
Today has pretty much been a quiet day. I finally got my laundry put away, and although I still have a load or two left to wash I can handle that. I spent a LOT of time figuring out what to wear to my job interview tomorrow. I had this really great outfit I bought specifically for it, but wouldn't you know it... now they're saying that we're going to have about a half inch of snow overnight, and it'll be around freezing when I go to my interview. So I've been weighing my options pretty heavily. I really, really, REALLY want this job, so I'm afraid to blow it by wearing the wrong thing. But such is life... not much I can do about it but do my best and hope for the best.
Damien's been home cleaning his room, and is applying for a position at the State Hospital in Wichita Falls, Cody is home being his goofy self, and life is temporarily pretty darn good. We'll see if my luck holds tomorrow! Night, people... have a great one!
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Day 178: February 21, 2010
Quote of the Day: "I love you, not because you’re perfect, but because you’re so perfect for me." – Author Unknown
I was woken up at 4:30 this morning by one of the loudest thunderstorms I’ve been able to enjoy in a little while. The power even flashed again, which hasn’t happened in a while. It was really great, though… the lightning lit the sky up so pretty, and the thunder sounded like it was right overhead. We even had a little bit of hail pinging off the windows. I tried to watch it for a while, but it was so dark outside that you really couldn’t see very much, so I just gave up and went back to bed. At least that was one way to guarantee that I’d sleep in until at least 7:30!
The countertops are finally finished, with the exception of sanding the drips off below the edge of the countertops, which will take a little time if I do them by hand. I think they turned out pretty good, when you consider the fact that the first layer of resin got completely messed up due to bad mixing. That’s what I get for not doing it all by myself, though. They look so nice and shiny now, though… I love it! I haven’t decided yet how hard they are going to be to clean up, but since I always use cutting boards and hot pads to put hot pans on I don’t see any issues with it. I’ll have to wait and see. Once Ron comes back and life starts to get back to normal it might be an entirely different story… things have been pretty slow in the kitchen department lately without the need to make all the great meals that he enjoys. The kids are too basic for “real” cooking. 
I can tell you in all honestly that I am really looking forward to Ron barbecuing those really awesome ribeyes and t-bones that I bought the other day. I haven’t had a steak since he left! Mostly because I’m a little nervous about using the grill, since we caught the last one on fire. I think I’ll go out next weekend and clean it, so that it’s all ready to go when he gets back. I’m afraid that my diet may be permanently ruined once he comes home. Can’t say that I’m TOO upset about that… I’ll just have to find that right mix of exercise and water to go along with all the foods I’ll be eating again! LOL
Tomorrow I’ll have to finish up all the things I didn’t get around to doing today, like folding laundry and changing bed sheets. Then it’s study-time for me once again… sigh. This semester is going to be pretty much a non-stop study fest, it seems. With us having a test every single week to study for I’m not sure what exactly I will accomplish as far as memorizing. But at least I have the end firmly in sight and creeping closer every minute. That makes it so much more tolerable.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Day 177: February 20, 2010
Quote of the Day: "Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough." -Og Mandino
I've been a busy bee today! I got up, I did about two hours of practice NCLEX test questions, I talked to Ron, I cleaned up the kitchen and mopped the floor, I watched a movie, I did about four hours of homework, I read a little bit of a book... I actually got a lot done! I sure can feel it in my neck, though... it's been stiff and sore for a couple days, but today it's actually a little worse. Maybe I'm sleeping wrong at night, and it isn't stress like I was thinking it is? Hard to tell.
The cats have been freed from their prison a day early. I let them out tonight because the countertops seem pretty much done to me. As precaution I've kept their cat food on the floor until tomorrow night, but they are sure glad to be out and about. I just let them out about half an hour ago, and Tiger has been zooming around the house ever since chasing his crinkly ball. No sign of where Tiny disappeared to, so I have no idea what he's up to. Mika is pacing the house crying because I won't give her canned food. I'm so mean!!! She keeps going back into the bedroom because she just knows that Tiny gets his canned food in my bathroom and it's just not fair because she's the princess, and she should get her very own can too, and doesn't she deserve it for putting up with the two guys, and how can I be so mean to her, and on and on and on it goes. You'd honestly think she was going to die if I didn't feed her a can right this very second! What a spoiled little brat! LOL
Cody came back from his church thing tonight sick to his stomach. He evidently learned a valuable lesson... you just can't go thirty hours fasting and then expect to be able to pig out on four plates full of food... your stomach is going to rebel against it. BIG time. But he had a lot of fun, and after about an hour he was feeling better. At least he didn't get sick or anything. I don't think he'll want to try the fasting business again any time soon, but on the way home he regaled me with stories of how in Ethiopia most people can't read, and they drink the same water they wash their feet and bodies in, and on and on. So at least some of the information he was MEANT to learn he remembered. I was really wondering if that would be the case, or if he would only concentrate on the fun and games part of it. So I guess you can say I am a little impressed by him tonight.
Tomorrow I have to get up and get right to folding and putting away laundry, and vacuuming and dusting, so that I can get started again on homework. Maybe I can mow the yard, if it's warm enough tomorrow. Who knows, though, with the way the weather has been all crazy lately. I think I may go up into the attic and change the A/C filter, too, maybe that will help with some of the sinus problems we've all been having. Well, Cody and I anyways... Damien is just never home anymore. I'm about to go buy him a box of trash bags for his room, though... I had to go in there today to get water to mop with because I can't get the counter wet yet, and his bathroom floor is full of dirty clothes. And there's hair on the sink from where he's cut his hair, and hair in the tub from getting clogged in the drain... and I don't even want to KNOW what all else there is in that pit... I quit looking. Boys are soooo gross!!!! God save me, please, from their disgusting laziness! I'm seriously going to take away everything but clothes out of BOTH their rooms pretty soon. THAT will teach them to clean up after themselves. Or just make extra work for me, because they won't care either way. You just can't win with teenagers. That's why God made sex so great... if people didn't get enjoyment from it, no one in their right minds would EVER choose to have kids.
I've been a busy bee today! I got up, I did about two hours of practice NCLEX test questions, I talked to Ron, I cleaned up the kitchen and mopped the floor, I watched a movie, I did about four hours of homework, I read a little bit of a book... I actually got a lot done! I sure can feel it in my neck, though... it's been stiff and sore for a couple days, but today it's actually a little worse. Maybe I'm sleeping wrong at night, and it isn't stress like I was thinking it is? Hard to tell.
The cats have been freed from their prison a day early. I let them out tonight because the countertops seem pretty much done to me. As precaution I've kept their cat food on the floor until tomorrow night, but they are sure glad to be out and about. I just let them out about half an hour ago, and Tiger has been zooming around the house ever since chasing his crinkly ball. No sign of where Tiny disappeared to, so I have no idea what he's up to. Mika is pacing the house crying because I won't give her canned food. I'm so mean!!! She keeps going back into the bedroom because she just knows that Tiny gets his canned food in my bathroom and it's just not fair because she's the princess, and she should get her very own can too, and doesn't she deserve it for putting up with the two guys, and how can I be so mean to her, and on and on and on it goes. You'd honestly think she was going to die if I didn't feed her a can right this very second! What a spoiled little brat! LOL
Cody came back from his church thing tonight sick to his stomach. He evidently learned a valuable lesson... you just can't go thirty hours fasting and then expect to be able to pig out on four plates full of food... your stomach is going to rebel against it. BIG time. But he had a lot of fun, and after about an hour he was feeling better. At least he didn't get sick or anything. I don't think he'll want to try the fasting business again any time soon, but on the way home he regaled me with stories of how in Ethiopia most people can't read, and they drink the same water they wash their feet and bodies in, and on and on. So at least some of the information he was MEANT to learn he remembered. I was really wondering if that would be the case, or if he would only concentrate on the fun and games part of it. So I guess you can say I am a little impressed by him tonight.
Tomorrow I have to get up and get right to folding and putting away laundry, and vacuuming and dusting, so that I can get started again on homework. Maybe I can mow the yard, if it's warm enough tomorrow. Who knows, though, with the way the weather has been all crazy lately. I think I may go up into the attic and change the A/C filter, too, maybe that will help with some of the sinus problems we've all been having. Well, Cody and I anyways... Damien is just never home anymore. I'm about to go buy him a box of trash bags for his room, though... I had to go in there today to get water to mop with because I can't get the counter wet yet, and his bathroom floor is full of dirty clothes. And there's hair on the sink from where he's cut his hair, and hair in the tub from getting clogged in the drain... and I don't even want to KNOW what all else there is in that pit... I quit looking. Boys are soooo gross!!!! God save me, please, from their disgusting laziness! I'm seriously going to take away everything but clothes out of BOTH their rooms pretty soon. THAT will teach them to clean up after themselves. Or just make extra work for me, because they won't care either way. You just can't win with teenagers. That's why God made sex so great... if people didn't get enjoyment from it, no one in their right minds would EVER choose to have kids.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Quote of the Day: "What is love…. But a friend who has remained beside me and never once removed his hand." – Hugh Prather
I cannot believe I forgot again!!! Oh, well, it's not like it hasn't been a crazy busy week or anything, what with having something school related every single day. Yesterday was my mother/baby clinical, and I really enjoyed it a lot.... I thought I blogged about it, to be honest with you, but I guess I didn't. Anyways, I had pediatrics, which were interesting to say the least. Not my cup of tea, though, I don't think. Something about the little ones being sick, and dealing with parents. I'll be much happier working with the new parents. I did learn to use some new equipment while I was there, and assisted with blood draws for cultures. It was an enjoyable day. Then, when I got home I immediately started working on the kitchen countertops, since I already had them all taped up and ready to go. I figured that if I got them done a day early they would be DONE a day early, so now they're all finished and curing. And I checked them this morning, and the good news is that THIS time there aren't any spots which aren't curing. Every part of the countertops are already hard on the surface, so by Sunday night I'll be able to put the kitchen back together and put some pictures on here for you. Which is a good thing, because I have been going CRAZY with having the cats locked up in my bedroom this whole time... and I'm sure they aren't doing much better.
I had a test-taking skills class in Vernon today, where they try to tell you some of the ways to look at nursing questions and get the right answer. I know a lot of you haven't seen what a nursing question for the nursing boards looks like, so here's a sample:
"After a suprapubic prostatectomy, the nurse understands that a client's plan of care must
include the prevention of postoperative deep vein thrombosis. This can best be achieved
by increasing the:
a. Coagulability of the blood
b. Velocity of the venous return
c. Effectiveness of internal respiration
d. Oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood"
Can you see my dilemma? All my life I've taken tests that test you on what you know, and the nursing questions are designed to test you on how you would APPLY what you know. It's a whole new game, and I'm still getting used to it. But I'm getting there, and hopefully by the time our HESI test comes around, or the NCLEX-RN, I'll be fully ready for it. We also have another class next week for the same thing, so I'm sure it'll help at least a little. Have to do SOMETHING to get it through my head! LOL I just hope that I didn't come this far only to fall down on the last lap... I need strength! HAHAHA
After my class, I went and got my hair done, and MAN, do I love it!!!! Liz does a great job, and I am supremely happy with the way it turned out... I have highlights now! What do you think?
I cannot believe I forgot again!!! Oh, well, it's not like it hasn't been a crazy busy week or anything, what with having something school related every single day. Yesterday was my mother/baby clinical, and I really enjoyed it a lot.... I thought I blogged about it, to be honest with you, but I guess I didn't. Anyways, I had pediatrics, which were interesting to say the least. Not my cup of tea, though, I don't think. Something about the little ones being sick, and dealing with parents. I'll be much happier working with the new parents. I did learn to use some new equipment while I was there, and assisted with blood draws for cultures. It was an enjoyable day. Then, when I got home I immediately started working on the kitchen countertops, since I already had them all taped up and ready to go. I figured that if I got them done a day early they would be DONE a day early, so now they're all finished and curing. And I checked them this morning, and the good news is that THIS time there aren't any spots which aren't curing. Every part of the countertops are already hard on the surface, so by Sunday night I'll be able to put the kitchen back together and put some pictures on here for you. Which is a good thing, because I have been going CRAZY with having the cats locked up in my bedroom this whole time... and I'm sure they aren't doing much better.
I had a test-taking skills class in Vernon today, where they try to tell you some of the ways to look at nursing questions and get the right answer. I know a lot of you haven't seen what a nursing question for the nursing boards looks like, so here's a sample:
"After a suprapubic prostatectomy, the nurse understands that a client's plan of care must
include the prevention of postoperative deep vein thrombosis. This can best be achieved
by increasing the:
a. Coagulability of the blood
b. Velocity of the venous return
c. Effectiveness of internal respiration
d. Oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood"
Can you see my dilemma? All my life I've taken tests that test you on what you know, and the nursing questions are designed to test you on how you would APPLY what you know. It's a whole new game, and I'm still getting used to it. But I'm getting there, and hopefully by the time our HESI test comes around, or the NCLEX-RN, I'll be fully ready for it. We also have another class next week for the same thing, so I'm sure it'll help at least a little. Have to do SOMETHING to get it through my head! LOL I just hope that I didn't come this far only to fall down on the last lap... I need strength! HAHAHA
After my class, I went and got my hair done, and MAN, do I love it!!!! Liz does a great job, and I am supremely happy with the way it turned out... I have highlights now! What do you think?
I am loving it! LOL
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Day 174: February 17, 2010
Quote of the Day: "The entire sum of existence is the magic of being needed by just one person." – V. Putnam
Oh, man, am I tired, again. Classes today went pretty well. I had my first psych test, and got an 83 on it. Which is not bad for the short amount of time I had to study for it. I was expecting a lot worse. There were a lot of really strangely worded questions on it. And let's face it... mental health is NOT one of my best subjects. There's too much objectivity and too many variables for me to be comfortable with it. Too many gray areas. I really enjoy learning about everything, and the clinicals are awesome, but I think that it would take more than just a week or two of studying for each test for me to truly have the time to grasp all the small details. There are too many similarities in the various disorders, and we have to learn how each individual culture views each disorder, or if they even consider them a disorder. Man, it's a lot to take in when you're sleep deprived!
Tomorrow I have my first pediatric clinical, and I'm a little nervous about it because I have no idea what it's going to be like. The patients can be months old all the way up to 18. Everyone who's been to it so far either loves it or hates it, so we'll see what happens tomorrow. It can't be that much different than dealing with my own kids, right? Except that there's a parent breathing down your neck! LOL Oh, well, I've been on the hospitalized kid side of it, so now I'll be on the other side and see what it's like. I can tell you that now I understand why the nurses rarely came into the rooms when we were in the hospital. They're too darn busy! LOL
I just realized something today... I am going to be the same age when I graduate from nursing school as my mother was when she graduated from Southwestern Medical Academy. I can still remember her going to school. It's kind of funny how I thought she was SOOO OLD, and now here I am doing the same thing. TOO funny! I guess I really am old, then! LOL
Oh, man, am I tired, again. Classes today went pretty well. I had my first psych test, and got an 83 on it. Which is not bad for the short amount of time I had to study for it. I was expecting a lot worse. There were a lot of really strangely worded questions on it. And let's face it... mental health is NOT one of my best subjects. There's too much objectivity and too many variables for me to be comfortable with it. Too many gray areas. I really enjoy learning about everything, and the clinicals are awesome, but I think that it would take more than just a week or two of studying for each test for me to truly have the time to grasp all the small details. There are too many similarities in the various disorders, and we have to learn how each individual culture views each disorder, or if they even consider them a disorder. Man, it's a lot to take in when you're sleep deprived!
Tomorrow I have my first pediatric clinical, and I'm a little nervous about it because I have no idea what it's going to be like. The patients can be months old all the way up to 18. Everyone who's been to it so far either loves it or hates it, so we'll see what happens tomorrow. It can't be that much different than dealing with my own kids, right? Except that there's a parent breathing down your neck! LOL Oh, well, I've been on the hospitalized kid side of it, so now I'll be on the other side and see what it's like. I can tell you that now I understand why the nurses rarely came into the rooms when we were in the hospital. They're too darn busy! LOL
I just realized something today... I am going to be the same age when I graduate from nursing school as my mother was when she graduated from Southwestern Medical Academy. I can still remember her going to school. It's kind of funny how I thought she was SOOO OLD, and now here I am doing the same thing. TOO funny! I guess I really am old, then! LOL
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Day 173: February 16, 2010
Quote of the Day: "No matter how steep the mountain - the Lord is going to climb it with you." - Helen Steiner Rice
Today is not a good day. Well, it was a good day as far as not much going wrong, but I've been in a complete funk all day. And SOMEONE got on my laptop today while I was gone, and used an SD card to open up all sorts of bull%#*@ things on here, which I am HIGHLY ticked off about! It was pornographic, and NOT at all the good kind. I would love to get ahold of whichever of my two little idiots that did it and knock the tar out of them. But of course, Not Me reigned supreme, and I have no way of proving which one of them did it and which one didn't. I'm about to spend thousands of dollars on a damn video surveillance system for this house so I can find out who Not Me is and put the fear of ME in him. Nothing makes you feel more violated than someone going into your personal space and using YOUR things, in an inappropriate manner and without permission!
Other than that, things are just getting to me lately. I have no idea why, but I'm just so damn tired all the time now, like I haven't slept in a week. I'm averaging about four hours a day where I actually feel awake and can focus, and the rest of the time I could easily lay down and fall right to sleep. I think my quality of sleep has suffered quite a bit lately, and although I'm in bed long enough I just don't ever feel rested. I have been tossing around the idea of having a sleep study done, but gee... when would I ever have that chance? Not until MAY at the earliest. I hate the fact that so much of my life is taken up by school. I resent that I don't even have the time to clean up the house anymore, or do the laundry. I have to fit it into little 15 minute segments here and there, so as you can imagine NOTHING is ever done, and no room is EVER clean. I really hate it! I'm not the kind of person who enjoys living in filth, and yet I have a sink that is full to capacity with dirty dishes with no time to take care of it. And God knows that I can't depend on my worthless children to help me with it, they're too busy playing around and being self-centered. Oh, yeah... and looking at porn on my damn laptop!
I'd better say something positive or you'll think that there was NOTHING good about today at all. I did call the Human Resources at United Regional back, and I have an interview set up for Tuesday with them, which I am looking forward to. So that was good. Incidentally, I found out something interesting today... I had a spare key made to my car at Lowe's today (thanks to mine getting lost), and found that it will open the door and start the car.... but the car will start, then idle for two seconds, then die. My regular key works fine. So what's up with that???? Is that a safety feature or something? Do you have to go directly to the dealership to get a key that works, and pay five times as much? What the heck??? Oh, and in honor of Ron coming home, I made a hair appointment for Friday. That should be good. And Tiny went to the vet today for his follow-up, and she says he looks great and has gained a pound back. So yay, Tiny. Way to go on the getting better. Now quit peeing on the dog bed when there's a completely clean litter box just two feet from it, would you please??? Geez!
Today is not a good day. Well, it was a good day as far as not much going wrong, but I've been in a complete funk all day. And SOMEONE got on my laptop today while I was gone, and used an SD card to open up all sorts of bull%#*@ things on here, which I am HIGHLY ticked off about! It was pornographic, and NOT at all the good kind. I would love to get ahold of whichever of my two little idiots that did it and knock the tar out of them. But of course, Not Me reigned supreme, and I have no way of proving which one of them did it and which one didn't. I'm about to spend thousands of dollars on a damn video surveillance system for this house so I can find out who Not Me is and put the fear of ME in him. Nothing makes you feel more violated than someone going into your personal space and using YOUR things, in an inappropriate manner and without permission!
Other than that, things are just getting to me lately. I have no idea why, but I'm just so damn tired all the time now, like I haven't slept in a week. I'm averaging about four hours a day where I actually feel awake and can focus, and the rest of the time I could easily lay down and fall right to sleep. I think my quality of sleep has suffered quite a bit lately, and although I'm in bed long enough I just don't ever feel rested. I have been tossing around the idea of having a sleep study done, but gee... when would I ever have that chance? Not until MAY at the earliest. I hate the fact that so much of my life is taken up by school. I resent that I don't even have the time to clean up the house anymore, or do the laundry. I have to fit it into little 15 minute segments here and there, so as you can imagine NOTHING is ever done, and no room is EVER clean. I really hate it! I'm not the kind of person who enjoys living in filth, and yet I have a sink that is full to capacity with dirty dishes with no time to take care of it. And God knows that I can't depend on my worthless children to help me with it, they're too busy playing around and being self-centered. Oh, yeah... and looking at porn on my damn laptop!
I'd better say something positive or you'll think that there was NOTHING good about today at all. I did call the Human Resources at United Regional back, and I have an interview set up for Tuesday with them, which I am looking forward to. So that was good. Incidentally, I found out something interesting today... I had a spare key made to my car at Lowe's today (thanks to mine getting lost), and found that it will open the door and start the car.... but the car will start, then idle for two seconds, then die. My regular key works fine. So what's up with that???? Is that a safety feature or something? Do you have to go directly to the dealership to get a key that works, and pay five times as much? What the heck??? Oh, and in honor of Ron coming home, I made a hair appointment for Friday. That should be good. And Tiny went to the vet today for his follow-up, and she says he looks great and has gained a pound back. So yay, Tiny. Way to go on the getting better. Now quit peeing on the dog bed when there's a completely clean litter box just two feet from it, would you please??? Geez!
Monday, February 15, 2010
Day 172: February 15, 2010
Quote of the Day: "It was a high counsel that I once heard given to a young person, "Always do what you are afraid to do." -Ralph Waldo Emerson
Remember that job I applied for at the hospital on Friday? Imagine my surprise when I left clinicals today and had a voicemail from the Human Resources department asking for me to call her back! Already! I was prepared to have to wait a month or two like the last time I applied at the hospital, and was floored to have already been called. I was so excited afterward that I pretty much drove home from clinicals on cloud nine! The way I see it, even if I don't get the position I have actually taken the first step toward my new nursing career! I am a little nervous about it, because I am going into it having no nursing experience as an RN other than my clinical rotations, which are good experience but aren't truly a J-O-B, and am not sure what steps to take. My biggest concern is that I just don't know what to expect at an interview. I'm hoping that having good prior work history on my other jobs will help me out. One other problem is that my resume was stored on the hospital's online system, from the last job I applied for there, and it was prior to my working as a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) at Texas Specialty Hospital. I tried to update it several times with the new job info, but it kept reverting to the prior version and wouldn't take the new employment info. So I'm going to have to take an updated resume with me to any interview I go on, and explain that it would not let me update it. I'm hoping that doesn't end up leaving a bad impression, but we'll see what happens, right? Wish me lots of luck... I REALLY want this particular job. I'd even be willing to forego my trip to Reno we've had planned for over a year if it meant the difference between getting the position or being skipped over! And that is BIG, my friends, BIG. Since I've been so looking forward to that trip, and all.
My clinicals today went really well again, too. I didn't even realize that today is a holiday until we were driving to Vernon and saw all the American flags out. That's not normally a problem, except that at the State Hospital they short-staff on federal holidays. So the patients all stayed on their subs all day and didn't get to go out and about to the day room or classes, which would have made it to where we could have had more interaction with them. It worked out okay, though, because we were able to see a lot of the "behind the scenes" things that go on, like the passing out of medications, the way things are run, and things like that. We did get to interact with quite a few patients, but not enough to say that it was a worthwhile day for mental health observation. The patient interactions we DID have, though, were pretty good. We got to read a lot of the charts, and that was interesting in and of itself. It's funny how nearly everyone will give you a different story of why they're there than what is in the chart!!! Someone could be there for aggravated assault, and be there for "a misunderstanding." It's really interesting how many different ways they have of coping with their issues. And denial, too... though we all have that problem!
Oh, and did I tell you I learned something about myself today? I'm totally clueless sometimes! Well, I knew that, but it hit me in the face today that it isn't always a good thing. See, it was dinnertime, and all the patients are called according to their badge color to dinner, and I was standing just inside the dining room door, talking to one of the workers. And this one patient, a really tall (taller than Ron tall) guy, came literally running from the other side of the day room when his name was called, chanting "Yums, yums, yums" or something like that. Well, he didn't really STOP running, he just ran right past the worker, grabbing his meal card as he went, and didn't stop until he was about a foot in front of me, and leaned over my head to get some hand sanitizer from a cabinet behind me. It didn't really even hit me until he was walking over to the food line that had he been intent on doing bodily injury I wouldn't have even realized it. Well, maybe I would have, if it weren't for the fact that I knew everyone was ready to eat, and there hadn't been any signs of agression. But he was REAL tall, so he probably could have snapped me like a twig. And it would have been my fault. Guess I can't help it that I'm a trusting person. I'd have to watch my back really, really well if I got a job somewhere like that.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Day 171: February 14th, 2010
Quote of the Day: "To love is nothing. To be loved is something. To love, and be loved, is everything." – T. Tolis V.
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!! Things here have been going along at a steady pace all day long. I've gotten my homework all caught up for my classes this week, and have been busily getting ready for my clinicals tomorrow and trying to work on the blog book. The plan is that once Ron gets home, we'll take all these blogs I've been turning out every day, and make them into a book that we can save. Just something fun to do that the kids can keep and pass on to future generations, or whatever the case may be. The problem is that it's going to take me a LOT of time to do, because it has to all be set up on the pages just right or it won't print out. So.... it's taking a long time to do. Good thing we HAVE a long time to get it done, huh?
Cody's his usual self again. He came home and went straight to the fridge, foregoing the homework altogether. I got on him about it, but I don't know how much he actually got done. I just asked him again and he says that he got it finished, so I'll go check on it real quick before I head to bed. Tomorrow I have clinicals at the State Hospital again, so it's going to be busy, busy, busy the whole 12 hour shift. Should be a really nice, long day. There's always a risk, I suppose, going out there. But I don't see it as that, I see it as something really interesting. I guess I'm just a glutton for punishment, but I enjoy the challenge. And you've got to admit, not many people get to see a "mental" hospital from the inside. Without being insane, that is, I guess! LOL
Oh, yeah... how do you like my horrible picture??? I absolutely hate it!! If they didn't force you to pay for it I would never have paid the fee to get the class composite. Sigh. Just the way EVERYONE wants to be remembered... looking like a total dweeb!
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!! Things here have been going along at a steady pace all day long. I've gotten my homework all caught up for my classes this week, and have been busily getting ready for my clinicals tomorrow and trying to work on the blog book. The plan is that once Ron gets home, we'll take all these blogs I've been turning out every day, and make them into a book that we can save. Just something fun to do that the kids can keep and pass on to future generations, or whatever the case may be. The problem is that it's going to take me a LOT of time to do, because it has to all be set up on the pages just right or it won't print out. So.... it's taking a long time to do. Good thing we HAVE a long time to get it done, huh?
Cody's his usual self again. He came home and went straight to the fridge, foregoing the homework altogether. I got on him about it, but I don't know how much he actually got done. I just asked him again and he says that he got it finished, so I'll go check on it real quick before I head to bed. Tomorrow I have clinicals at the State Hospital again, so it's going to be busy, busy, busy the whole 12 hour shift. Should be a really nice, long day. There's always a risk, I suppose, going out there. But I don't see it as that, I see it as something really interesting. I guess I'm just a glutton for punishment, but I enjoy the challenge. And you've got to admit, not many people get to see a "mental" hospital from the inside. Without being insane, that is, I guess! LOLOh, yeah... how do you like my horrible picture??? I absolutely hate it!! If they didn't force you to pay for it I would never have paid the fee to get the class composite. Sigh. Just the way EVERYONE wants to be remembered... looking like a total dweeb!
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Day 170: February 13th, 2010
Quote of the day: "Kissing is a means of getting two people so close together that they can’t see anything wrong with each other." – Rene Yasenek
Happy Valentine's Day, baby! You know, since it's already Valentine's Day where you are. So far away. I'd love to be able to reach out and hug you, but since I can't my saying it will have to do. Just know that I am thinking of you right at this very minute, and that I want more than anything to be able to hug you again. As I know I will soon be able to do!!!! And how thankful I will be when you are finally returned to me! Just like heaven!
I have been working on homework pretty much ALL DAY LONG! My brain is just about turning to mush. I am so very tired of it that I could just fall down and lay there in the fetal position sleeping for a week. But I have to get it done, so I'm at it again. Sigh. You'd think it'll help me learn or something. I really need to be studying for my test coming up on Wednesday, and have only had a very little amount of time to do it. This test is for my mental health class (psych), so it is going to be really tough compared to the mother/baby class test. I'll need to try extra hard, I think. I have some of it down, but I really need to study the meds a lot, because she said that there were a lot of medications you HAVE to know about. We'll see.... still have to get a little more homework done tomorrow.
Cody is out spending the night with his friend Caleb, and Damien is at his friend Drew's again, so I once again have a nice, quiet house all to myself. It's kind of nice for studying, but it really stinks the rest of the time when you want someone to talk to, or even just know that there is someone else there. Did I tell you I can't wait for Ron to come home? Oh, well... I'm telling you again! LOL That's one thing I can't stand... being alone ALL the time. I love it once in a while, but when it's repetitive it gets old. I can't imagine what being a hermit must be like. I'm sure some of them enjoy it, but if they aren't the self-imposed hermit, then it must be awful. It's like a fate worse than death! I am NOT that much fun for me to talk to. I talk back too much to myself for my tastes. I'd rather talk to someone else, so that I DON'T know what they are going to say! HA HA HA HA
Happy Valentine's Day, baby! You know, since it's already Valentine's Day where you are. So far away. I'd love to be able to reach out and hug you, but since I can't my saying it will have to do. Just know that I am thinking of you right at this very minute, and that I want more than anything to be able to hug you again. As I know I will soon be able to do!!!! And how thankful I will be when you are finally returned to me! Just like heaven!
I have been working on homework pretty much ALL DAY LONG! My brain is just about turning to mush. I am so very tired of it that I could just fall down and lay there in the fetal position sleeping for a week. But I have to get it done, so I'm at it again. Sigh. You'd think it'll help me learn or something. I really need to be studying for my test coming up on Wednesday, and have only had a very little amount of time to do it. This test is for my mental health class (psych), so it is going to be really tough compared to the mother/baby class test. I'll need to try extra hard, I think. I have some of it down, but I really need to study the meds a lot, because she said that there were a lot of medications you HAVE to know about. We'll see.... still have to get a little more homework done tomorrow.
Cody is out spending the night with his friend Caleb, and Damien is at his friend Drew's again, so I once again have a nice, quiet house all to myself. It's kind of nice for studying, but it really stinks the rest of the time when you want someone to talk to, or even just know that there is someone else there. Did I tell you I can't wait for Ron to come home? Oh, well... I'm telling you again! LOL That's one thing I can't stand... being alone ALL the time. I love it once in a while, but when it's repetitive it gets old. I can't imagine what being a hermit must be like. I'm sure some of them enjoy it, but if they aren't the self-imposed hermit, then it must be awful. It's like a fate worse than death! I am NOT that much fun for me to talk to. I talk back too much to myself for my tastes. I'd rather talk to someone else, so that I DON'T know what they are going to say! HA HA HA HA
Friday, February 12, 2010
Day 169: February 12th, 2010
Quote of the Day: "Where love is concerned, too much is not ever enough." – Pierre-Augustin Caron De Beaumarchais
Well, gee, what a day. Where to begin???
First off, I made an 83 on my first test in my Mother/Baby class, so I am pretty happy with that. I guess that some of the studying really helped a LOT... now if I just had the critical thinking skills, I'd be all set. I DID follow through and go to the hospital website and apply for the new position they just posted. I'm not sure if I will get it, with my dates so far out that I would be able to start, but we'll see. At least I'm trying, right? And I really DO love it!
I went to the freezer today to take out one of my little brownie squares that I had frozen, intending to treat myself because I've lost so much weight and had such a rough day, only to find that Cody has been his usual insensitive self and eaten ALL BUT SIX of them... and they're all the flavors that I wasn't particularly fond of. All the good flavors - gone. And those were VERY expensive brownies, sent to ME by my BEST FRIEND. I am so angry with him that I don't even want to look at him. I don't know what makes him think he can just take whatever he wants, but he does it ALL THE TIME. And at thirteen he should know better. He is lazy, he is not doing his chores, he refuses to ride the bus home, he is not doing his homework.... what am I going to DO WITH HIM?????? Anyone know any good military schools?
Oh, and to make matters more interesting I braved all that wet, slushy snow to go out back and do the pool chemicals and vacuum it. Not in and of itself anything bad, until I got up onto the jacuzzi to vacuum in there, lost my balance, and fell in. I think I might have actually been in the water less than a millisecond, because once I realized I was falling I was backpedaling as fast as I could to get out of it. Boy, was I wishing the heater was fixed on the stupid thing! It was COLD!!! I don't know how those people in the Polar Bear Club do it! I came in the house as quick as I could trying to shed the cold, wet layers, and have been an icicle ever since. I'm sure I looked ridiculous, too... good thing no one was around to laugh at me!
I guess you could say it hasn't really been that great of a day. Nothing has been going right at all. And I sure wish it would! Maybe I should have waited to apply for that job. Hmm.
Well, gee, what a day. Where to begin???
First off, I made an 83 on my first test in my Mother/Baby class, so I am pretty happy with that. I guess that some of the studying really helped a LOT... now if I just had the critical thinking skills, I'd be all set. I DID follow through and go to the hospital website and apply for the new position they just posted. I'm not sure if I will get it, with my dates so far out that I would be able to start, but we'll see. At least I'm trying, right? And I really DO love it!
I went to the freezer today to take out one of my little brownie squares that I had frozen, intending to treat myself because I've lost so much weight and had such a rough day, only to find that Cody has been his usual insensitive self and eaten ALL BUT SIX of them... and they're all the flavors that I wasn't particularly fond of. All the good flavors - gone. And those were VERY expensive brownies, sent to ME by my BEST FRIEND. I am so angry with him that I don't even want to look at him. I don't know what makes him think he can just take whatever he wants, but he does it ALL THE TIME. And at thirteen he should know better. He is lazy, he is not doing his chores, he refuses to ride the bus home, he is not doing his homework.... what am I going to DO WITH HIM?????? Anyone know any good military schools?
Oh, and to make matters more interesting I braved all that wet, slushy snow to go out back and do the pool chemicals and vacuum it. Not in and of itself anything bad, until I got up onto the jacuzzi to vacuum in there, lost my balance, and fell in. I think I might have actually been in the water less than a millisecond, because once I realized I was falling I was backpedaling as fast as I could to get out of it. Boy, was I wishing the heater was fixed on the stupid thing! It was COLD!!! I don't know how those people in the Polar Bear Club do it! I came in the house as quick as I could trying to shed the cold, wet layers, and have been an icicle ever since. I'm sure I looked ridiculous, too... good thing no one was around to laugh at me!
I guess you could say it hasn't really been that great of a day. Nothing has been going right at all. And I sure wish it would! Maybe I should have waited to apply for that job. Hmm.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Day 168: February 11th, 2010
Quote of the Day: "True love doesn’t have a happy ending, true love doesn’t have an ending." -author unknown
NO, NO, NO MORE SNOW!!!! UGH!
I am so angry right now that I could just scream! Today was clinicals for our Mother/Baby portion of classes, and I was assigned to the postpartum floor. I was thoroughly enjoying it, and was really feeling like it was all "clicking together" today. I was at my top performance today. I professed a great amount of interest. And I liked it even more than the Labor and Delivery rotation. So what happens? That up to 2 inches of snow we were expected to get came in with a vengeance, and they made us leave early! I asked the instructor if we could elect to stay and finish out the day, but we couldn't. So I can't help but feeling cheated out of one of the best parts of clinicals.... something I actually enjoy! And I just KNOW that the roads are going to be horrible after all this is over, which is also not helping my mood any.
I had a really great nurse that I was assigned to today. She did everything she could to help teach us things while she was doing her patient care, and made it a point to show us things. I liked her a lot as well, and would love the chance to be one of her coworkers. When I asked if there were any jobs going to open up on the unit she introduced me to Ellen, the lady who would be in charge of the hiring. She said that they should be loading all the new positions tonight, so I'll go check first thing tomorrow morning and see what is on there. If there is a job on that unit I am going to apply for it. And then pray really hard! LOL
I'm loading up some snow pictures on here from today, since Ron has missed yet another snow. I really hate that. It makes me sad because it's not like this here every year, so it'll probably be a few years before we have something like this again. I wish he could have been here, because he really enjoys the snow so much. He likes it a lot more than I do, that's for sure!!! But I keep telling myself that climates are changing, and maybe next year will be like this too. One can only hope, right?
Tonight I worked on some homework for school, and here in a little bit I'm going to start studying for my mental health class. I have a feeling that the tests for that class are going to be especially gruelling, and I will need all the help that I can get to prepare for them. Which unfortunately is going to be a whole lot of studying. I just hope that I can learn enough (and have enough common sense) to do well enough on the tests to pass them. My biggest problem is going to be knowing what to say, when. I always tend to say the wrong things, which is really dangerous to do with a person suffering from a mental health issue. And I'm afraid that the tendency will come through on the test and make it impossible for me to pass it. But I'm going to read all the chapters in the book, and try to write down all the important things, and we'll see what happens with it. The test is on Wednesday, which makes it to where I should have just enough time left to finish studying and do well. But we'll see... that's the one thing I have learned about nursing school.... one test at a time.
Skip's forecast info from the texoma's homepage website.......
"2010-02-11 19:06:03 The upper wave responsible for the snow will slowly move east this evening. Other than remaining flurries, the back edge of the accumulating snows has been apparent for several hours this afternoon and is expected to continue its steady pace east. Warnings and advisories will likely remain unchanged until some cancellations may occur in western zones later this evening. Fog is likely tonight in the south and in the southeast tomorrow night. Maximum temperature forecasts for Friday were change to reflect snow coverage in south central and southeast Oklahoma. Saturday will likely be the warmest day in a while with sun and before the next cold front which comes early Sunday. Gusty north winds and temperatures dropping into the 30s during the day Sunday are likely, but precipitations is not with this clipper style system. Cool and dry weather is expected until mid-week when another system is forecast to move across the Pacific northwest and drop south with the long wave pattern. Moisture may be sufficient for rain/snow with this system by Thursday."
REALLY? AGAIN? HONESTLY!!! If another clinical gets messed up because of this I'm going to scream!
NO, NO, NO MORE SNOW!!!! UGH!
I am so angry right now that I could just scream! Today was clinicals for our Mother/Baby portion of classes, and I was assigned to the postpartum floor. I was thoroughly enjoying it, and was really feeling like it was all "clicking together" today. I was at my top performance today. I professed a great amount of interest. And I liked it even more than the Labor and Delivery rotation. So what happens? That up to 2 inches of snow we were expected to get came in with a vengeance, and they made us leave early! I asked the instructor if we could elect to stay and finish out the day, but we couldn't. So I can't help but feeling cheated out of one of the best parts of clinicals.... something I actually enjoy! And I just KNOW that the roads are going to be horrible after all this is over, which is also not helping my mood any.
I had a really great nurse that I was assigned to today. She did everything she could to help teach us things while she was doing her patient care, and made it a point to show us things. I liked her a lot as well, and would love the chance to be one of her coworkers. When I asked if there were any jobs going to open up on the unit she introduced me to Ellen, the lady who would be in charge of the hiring. She said that they should be loading all the new positions tonight, so I'll go check first thing tomorrow morning and see what is on there. If there is a job on that unit I am going to apply for it. And then pray really hard! LOL
I'm loading up some snow pictures on here from today, since Ron has missed yet another snow. I really hate that. It makes me sad because it's not like this here every year, so it'll probably be a few years before we have something like this again. I wish he could have been here, because he really enjoys the snow so much. He likes it a lot more than I do, that's for sure!!! But I keep telling myself that climates are changing, and maybe next year will be like this too. One can only hope, right?
Tonight I worked on some homework for school, and here in a little bit I'm going to start studying for my mental health class. I have a feeling that the tests for that class are going to be especially gruelling, and I will need all the help that I can get to prepare for them. Which unfortunately is going to be a whole lot of studying. I just hope that I can learn enough (and have enough common sense) to do well enough on the tests to pass them. My biggest problem is going to be knowing what to say, when. I always tend to say the wrong things, which is really dangerous to do with a person suffering from a mental health issue. And I'm afraid that the tendency will come through on the test and make it impossible for me to pass it. But I'm going to read all the chapters in the book, and try to write down all the important things, and we'll see what happens with it. The test is on Wednesday, which makes it to where I should have just enough time left to finish studying and do well. But we'll see... that's the one thing I have learned about nursing school.... one test at a time.
Today's Snow Pictures
"2010-02-11 19:06:03 The upper wave responsible for the snow will slowly move east this evening. Other than remaining flurries, the back edge of the accumulating snows has been apparent for several hours this afternoon and is expected to continue its steady pace east. Warnings and advisories will likely remain unchanged until some cancellations may occur in western zones later this evening. Fog is likely tonight in the south and in the southeast tomorrow night. Maximum temperature forecasts for Friday were change to reflect snow coverage in south central and southeast Oklahoma. Saturday will likely be the warmest day in a while with sun and before the next cold front which comes early Sunday. Gusty north winds and temperatures dropping into the 30s during the day Sunday are likely, but precipitations is not with this clipper style system. Cool and dry weather is expected until mid-week when another system is forecast to move across the Pacific northwest and drop south with the long wave pattern. Moisture may be sufficient for rain/snow with this system by Thursday."
REALLY? AGAIN? HONESTLY!!! If another clinical gets messed up because of this I'm going to scream!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Day 167: February 10, 2010
Quote of the day: "Love is the master key that opens the gate of happiness." – Oliver Wendell Holmes
Okay, I did it. I checked the windows. Only to find them completely stuck shut. But I have to lean real far over the counter to try and open them, without touching the counters, which is extremely difficult anyway. And they're usually real hard to open, so I'm going to wait and try to open them once the countertop has cured completely and try again. I figure maybe if I can get up ONTO the countertop then I'd be able to open it with leverage. If not, well... not going to hurt MY feelings anyways. I no longer feel a draft coming in under the windows! LOL
I did well on my test today, I think I only missed 8 or 9 questions. REAL good results compared to what I THOUGHT I was going to do on it, considering the fact that I hardly had any time to study. But I'm finding that the mother/baby part is easy for me to remember. I'm not sure about the mental health class, though... don't you have to be mentally healthy to understand mental health??? HAHAHA One of the first things I've noticed since entering the nursing program is that it makes me completely and totally insane. I'm out of my mind. Or my mind left me, you figure it out. I just know that I can't concentrate, can't remember things, and am constantly feeling completely wiped out, as if I haven't slept in weeks. And I'm tired of it. No pun intended, of course!
Oh, and one more thing...I am starting to HATE MY BODY! It is totally rebelling lately against the weight loss, making me hungry all the time and everything. All these long months I've been steadily losing weight, at less than the recommended rate. Then all of a sudden my weight went flat-line, staying at exactly the same weight for 7 out of 9 days, and now for the last two days it's gone up. I've gained so much that I now weigh what I did around the end of January, a little over two weeks ago. It's so frustrating! I got so close to my goal weight, within 1.2 pounds, and now I'm gaining again. I don't know if it's stress related or what, but I really wish that I could get it under control. Gotta stop with the hunger, already!! And drink more water, although I drank more than my 2 liters yesterday of water and it didn't help any. Giving it a week, and then I'm just going to give up. Life's grand, though.... I'm around 20 lbs less even if I don't lose back to my lowest.
Okay, I did it. I checked the windows. Only to find them completely stuck shut. But I have to lean real far over the counter to try and open them, without touching the counters, which is extremely difficult anyway. And they're usually real hard to open, so I'm going to wait and try to open them once the countertop has cured completely and try again. I figure maybe if I can get up ONTO the countertop then I'd be able to open it with leverage. If not, well... not going to hurt MY feelings anyways. I no longer feel a draft coming in under the windows! LOL
I did well on my test today, I think I only missed 8 or 9 questions. REAL good results compared to what I THOUGHT I was going to do on it, considering the fact that I hardly had any time to study. But I'm finding that the mother/baby part is easy for me to remember. I'm not sure about the mental health class, though... don't you have to be mentally healthy to understand mental health??? HAHAHA One of the first things I've noticed since entering the nursing program is that it makes me completely and totally insane. I'm out of my mind. Or my mind left me, you figure it out. I just know that I can't concentrate, can't remember things, and am constantly feeling completely wiped out, as if I haven't slept in weeks. And I'm tired of it. No pun intended, of course!
Oh, and one more thing...I am starting to HATE MY BODY! It is totally rebelling lately against the weight loss, making me hungry all the time and everything. All these long months I've been steadily losing weight, at less than the recommended rate. Then all of a sudden my weight went flat-line, staying at exactly the same weight for 7 out of 9 days, and now for the last two days it's gone up. I've gained so much that I now weigh what I did around the end of January, a little over two weeks ago. It's so frustrating! I got so close to my goal weight, within 1.2 pounds, and now I'm gaining again. I don't know if it's stress related or what, but I really wish that I could get it under control. Gotta stop with the hunger, already!! And drink more water, although I drank more than my 2 liters yesterday of water and it didn't help any. Giving it a week, and then I'm just going to give up. Life's grand, though.... I'm around 20 lbs less even if I don't lose back to my lowest.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Day 166: February 9, 2010
Quote of the Day: "Couples who love each other tell each other a thousand things without talking." – Chinese proverb
About that proverb... it's a good thing, because Ron and I haven't been able to talk hardly at all since he left, so I'm looking forward to being able to look at his face again. It's getting closer every day, and all I can say is that I am really, really grateful that we'll be together again soon. It's going to be so nice to have someone else who I can depend on besides me. And I'm sure that having someone who can change light bulbs in a high ceiling or grab things off the top shelf is going to be nice to have again, as well.
I got the countertops done today, finally. I still have one layer to add to the countertop with the sink on it, but I'm thinking that can wait until Ron comes home. It'd be easier, and plus... he'd get to see what a pain in the butt that stuff is to deal with. I've made a total mess of the floor in the kitchen with it, I'm sure. At least we plan on taking it out and putting in tile, right? LOL I'll take pictures of the countertops to put on here once they've had their three days of cure time and I can put things onto them again. I can't WAIT to see what the kitchen will look like once all that tape and plastic are down! The only thing that concerns me in any way are the windows that butt up next to the countertop. I taped them up really well, but I'm still worried that once the resin has dried it will have stuck to the tape and made the windows inoperable. Which is no big deal to me, because not only are they a pain to open, they leak air like crazy. So maybe having them sealed with resin would be a blessing in disguise! We're replacing those too, so no big deal. Right? LOL
Tonight Laurie is over and we are studying for our test tomorrow in class. I feel totally unprepared for it, which probably means I'll just barely squeak by with another 78. Or worse, fail it completely. But the subject matter isn't anything really new to me, so I'm hoping that all my knowledge gained through my pregnancies and child raising has stuck with me in my long term memory enough that I'll make it just fine. It seems like everything we've studied so far has been familiar to me. We'll see what tomorrow brings, that's for sure. But for now, I have to get going and get back to studying, because our break is almost over. Have a great day!
About that proverb... it's a good thing, because Ron and I haven't been able to talk hardly at all since he left, so I'm looking forward to being able to look at his face again. It's getting closer every day, and all I can say is that I am really, really grateful that we'll be together again soon. It's going to be so nice to have someone else who I can depend on besides me. And I'm sure that having someone who can change light bulbs in a high ceiling or grab things off the top shelf is going to be nice to have again, as well.
I got the countertops done today, finally. I still have one layer to add to the countertop with the sink on it, but I'm thinking that can wait until Ron comes home. It'd be easier, and plus... he'd get to see what a pain in the butt that stuff is to deal with. I've made a total mess of the floor in the kitchen with it, I'm sure. At least we plan on taking it out and putting in tile, right? LOL I'll take pictures of the countertops to put on here once they've had their three days of cure time and I can put things onto them again. I can't WAIT to see what the kitchen will look like once all that tape and plastic are down! The only thing that concerns me in any way are the windows that butt up next to the countertop. I taped them up really well, but I'm still worried that once the resin has dried it will have stuck to the tape and made the windows inoperable. Which is no big deal to me, because not only are they a pain to open, they leak air like crazy. So maybe having them sealed with resin would be a blessing in disguise! We're replacing those too, so no big deal. Right? LOL
Tonight Laurie is over and we are studying for our test tomorrow in class. I feel totally unprepared for it, which probably means I'll just barely squeak by with another 78. Or worse, fail it completely. But the subject matter isn't anything really new to me, so I'm hoping that all my knowledge gained through my pregnancies and child raising has stuck with me in my long term memory enough that I'll make it just fine. It seems like everything we've studied so far has been familiar to me. We'll see what tomorrow brings, that's for sure. But for now, I have to get going and get back to studying, because our break is almost over. Have a great day!
Monday, February 8, 2010
Day 165: February 8, 2010
Quote of the Day: "Leaders are not born. They are made. They are made just like anything else. . . through hard work. That's the price we have to pay to achieve that goal or any goal." - Vince Lombardi
Okay, I'm sorry, but THAT'S FUNNY!!!! Damien came home this morning, I saw him walking toward the house in the rain when I was driving Cody to school and picked him up. He had caught a ride to town with Drew when he drove in for school, and was walking from the high school. But really, that's not the funny part. The funny part is that I have to go to Lowe's this morning and pick up a propane torch for the countertops, and I just happened to glance up and noticed that Damien had a Hitler moustache. I asked him "You're going to shave that before I take you with me anywhere, right?" And he got this deer-in-the-headlights confused look on his face, and it was like time stood still in his mind for a few seconds. "What do you mean?" He asked me. Then you could see realization hit him right in the face, and he just gets this look. "Oh, you've GOT to be kidding!" he says. Evidently his friends thought it would be hilarious to give him a little shave while he slept.... and he hadn't looked in a mirror, so he had no clue!!!! And even funnier is that, with my habit of always looking at people's eyes, I'd been with him for an hour and a half, and even took him to Dollar General with me, and never noticed it!!!! Oh, you gotta love it!
Okay, I'm sorry, but THAT'S FUNNY!!!! Damien came home this morning, I saw him walking toward the house in the rain when I was driving Cody to school and picked him up. He had caught a ride to town with Drew when he drove in for school, and was walking from the high school. But really, that's not the funny part. The funny part is that I have to go to Lowe's this morning and pick up a propane torch for the countertops, and I just happened to glance up and noticed that Damien had a Hitler moustache. I asked him "You're going to shave that before I take you with me anywhere, right?" And he got this deer-in-the-headlights confused look on his face, and it was like time stood still in his mind for a few seconds. "What do you mean?" He asked me. Then you could see realization hit him right in the face, and he just gets this look. "Oh, you've GOT to be kidding!" he says. Evidently his friends thought it would be hilarious to give him a little shave while he slept.... and he hadn't looked in a mirror, so he had no clue!!!! And even funnier is that, with my habit of always looking at people's eyes, I'd been with him for an hour and a half, and even took him to Dollar General with me, and never noticed it!!!! Oh, you gotta love it!
Mocha in her Winter Coat... boy, does she love playing dress-up! (Or is it that she's tired of being cold?)
Been working on the countertops ALL DAY LONG, UGH!!! I've washed off so many layers of paint that I'm not sure I'll have much skin left at the end of it all. Tomorrow I have to get up and do the resin on it, with Damien's help. Looking forward to having them DONE, though I'll have to keep the cats locked up for three days straight to keep them off the countertops while they're curing. Well, mostly off the cat counter, but ya know how it goes... if something is "new" they have to investigate it. Repeatedly. They drive me crazy sometimes.
Not as much as the kids right now, though. I bought a bunch of balloons and blew a lot of them up with the intention of hanging them from the ceiling in front of the cabinets to keep the cats from jumping up, then decided it would be easier just to lock them up until the counters had cured. SOOOO, we have all these balloons blown up on the floor... which evidently was way too much temptation for Damien and Cody. They couldn't handle it, I guess. For the last hour I have been scared at least four times by them sneaking up behind me (or just ignoring me altogether) and popping balloons. Between their everyday boy noises and the sound of popping balloons it's like world war three in a dance club around here. NOT to mention the fact that Cody put a whole bunch of not-blown-up balloons inside one giant blown up balloon and made the equivalent of a giant baby rattle and is running around shaking it, driving me crazy. Good thing I'm not currently trying to study or I would have to box them in their ears. BIG time. I was going to study after I get the last layer of paint on the countertops, but I think now that they're all riled up like they are, I'll just do it in the morning when school is in session. Oh, man, you've gotta love school... a crazed parent's best friend! Is it 7am yet?
Day 164: February 7, 2010
Quote of the Day: "As the presence of those we love is as a double life, so absence, in its anxious longing and sense of vacancy, is as a foretaste of death." ~Anna Brownell Jameson
Good morning! I was toooo tired to blog last night! UGH!!! Yesterday I finally got the entire kitchen backsplash completed, and am pretty happy with the results. I think now that I may consider adding just a couple of blacks and browns to it because it looks kind of plain, but that's something I will have to mess around with later. It'll do for now, and that's what's important. No, let me restate that... what's really important is that I no longer have to look at that stupid fruit on the tile! I will no longer feel that urgent need to rip out the tile and completely redo it immediately. We'll have some time to plan out what we want to do in the kitchen, and by that I mean that now I can handle waiting a couple (or few) years before we open up that can of worms. Which is plenty of time to get these nasty floors done, as well as the doors and windows. Those are Ron's priority, so I've done what I can to make it to where I can deal with the low-priority kitchen! HAHAHA
Cody went over to a Super Bowl party one of the members of his church was throwing, and he evidently had a lot of fun. I spent most of the afternoon and all of the evening in the kitchen baking banana bread, for two reasons: One: I need the space in the freezer the frozen bananas are taking up because my garage freezer all of a sudden quit working. And, Two: Ron requested that I send him his cell phone so that when he finally arrives stateside he can use it at the airports during transit. So I needed something else to put in the box with it, and since he said that he and the guys loved getting the banana bread last time, I figured it would be the best way to fill the box. You know, since he'll be coming home soon and won't want anything else he'd have to pack up to send back. And I can't help but spoil my baby, after all!
Anyways, today I have a couple of things up my sleeve, so I'll get on them real quick and I'll write about them in tonights blogs. Have a great day!
Good morning! I was toooo tired to blog last night! UGH!!! Yesterday I finally got the entire kitchen backsplash completed, and am pretty happy with the results. I think now that I may consider adding just a couple of blacks and browns to it because it looks kind of plain, but that's something I will have to mess around with later. It'll do for now, and that's what's important. No, let me restate that... what's really important is that I no longer have to look at that stupid fruit on the tile! I will no longer feel that urgent need to rip out the tile and completely redo it immediately. We'll have some time to plan out what we want to do in the kitchen, and by that I mean that now I can handle waiting a couple (or few) years before we open up that can of worms. Which is plenty of time to get these nasty floors done, as well as the doors and windows. Those are Ron's priority, so I've done what I can to make it to where I can deal with the low-priority kitchen! HAHAHA
Cody went over to a Super Bowl party one of the members of his church was throwing, and he evidently had a lot of fun. I spent most of the afternoon and all of the evening in the kitchen baking banana bread, for two reasons: One: I need the space in the freezer the frozen bananas are taking up because my garage freezer all of a sudden quit working. And, Two: Ron requested that I send him his cell phone so that when he finally arrives stateside he can use it at the airports during transit. So I needed something else to put in the box with it, and since he said that he and the guys loved getting the banana bread last time, I figured it would be the best way to fill the box. You know, since he'll be coming home soon and won't want anything else he'd have to pack up to send back. And I can't help but spoil my baby, after all!
Anyways, today I have a couple of things up my sleeve, so I'll get on them real quick and I'll write about them in tonights blogs. Have a great day!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)