Tempting

So tempted to let myself feel overwhelmed. I was a bit overwhelmed at the start of last semester, but I didn't let myself give in to it.  I took it one day at a time. I think I'll go with that again!

Clinical orientations are next week and I think that will help to calm some of the anxiety. Or else it might make it worse. Right now I'm busy merging the calendars/schedules for my three classes into one. WHY would I want three separate calendars? Anyways, I'm just seeing all the clinical days, assignments, due dates, quizzes and tests and think, "How and when am I going to get it all done and not forget or miss something?" 

Today I did myself a huge favor. Our Nursing Dimensions course (1 credit hybrid class) has articles and chapter readings that we either have to submit an assignment or post something on the discussion board. So today, while I was working at the older gentleman's house, I was able to find and save the articles and readings to my computer as well as go ahead and get my references into APA format (that always seems to take me forever). And then tonight I printed the articles so that I can carry them with me to read and make comments on when I'm out and have a few minutes to spare between activities or classes. I'd LOVE to work ahead on these assignments and get them posted/submitted so that I can focus on my other two classes. Now would be the time before clinicals kick in to full gear!

I'm also going to try to work ahead on my 50-some medications for my OB clinical. At the start of each intra-rotation (Labor & Delivery, Postpartum and Nursery) we have to write-up the meds that are used in that rotation. I'm glad we don't have the typical clinical prep for OB.

Well, it's tempting to want to stay up and write more...but I need to get to bed. Seriously.

16 Weeks from Tomorrow I'll Be GRADUATING!!!!

Well, here I am, the night before the start of my LAST semester. I've made my packing lists for tomorrow (food, gym stuff, school stuff) and packed about 50% of that. Still need to print out syllabi and calendars for all three classes, as well as some of the study guides. I had hopes of having read ALL the material for tomorrow's classes. Nope. Not even 10%. Working every day this week kinda put a kink in that plan. So I'm going to at least skim through every page yet tonight. Oh, and since I need to leave the house by 7 am, I probably need to be up by 5:45am. Ugh. So I've told myself that I should go to bed at 9:30pm so that I can get eight hours in for my first day of the semester. Um, just looked at the clock and it's 9:15. Lovely. Maybe I should go to bed now and get up and start skimming. Oh, Scooby-Do...I still have to print. Okay, so NOT a great start to the semester. :(

So what have I been doing this evening when I've got all that reading to do? Okay, so last night I made up the new batch of butternut squash soup (=4 butternut squashes) sans the oregano and am now in the process of combining the new stuff with the over-seasoned stuff that I made back in December (I froze it so I could deal with it later). And now I'm having to keep a close watch as it heats up. After all the work, I don't want it to scorch on the bottom of the pan. The soup is THICK and so it takes a LOT of work (force) for a heat bubble to rise to the top.  It may taste fine...it still LOOKS like it's over-spiced.  I went back and checked the recipe and I think rather than 1/2 tsp of oregano, I put 1 TABLESPOON!  Yes, that's six times what it should have been! Ack! I'm going to have to try a sample bowl here shortly to determine if I've remedied it or if it's still over-spiced. Hopefully it's going to be edible. I probably should have waited until the weekend or at least tomorrow evening to mess with this. But alas it's done (I hope). And I can catch up on school stuff this weekend.

I'm actually really excited for the semester to start. To return to a routine/schedule that is predictable for the long-term. It's been good to earn money over the holidays, but I have not been consistent at the gym since before Thanksgiving. I had pushed my body pretty hard this fall, with some results, but not great results. I'm not sure I had hit a plateau last semester, but I think I might have been coming close. So I'm hoping this extended break has reset my body's memory and that my body will be ready again for weight loss mode. I know I'm ready! I'd love to drop 20-25 lb this semester (16 weeks until graduation!!!). It's definitely within the safe range of 1-2 lbs per week. This semester's schedule doesn't provide for a nice MWF/TuTh type of workout schedule, so I'm still trying to figure it out. BUT my gym bag is packed and I'm heading to the gym after classes tomorrow! Yay me!

Well, seeing that I have about ten chapters to read (um, skim) tonight and about 50 pages to print, I'd better hang this up now.

Until later...
Joy

Okay, so I tasted the soup. Not bad. Yay! I was definitely not excited about the prospect of chopping up several more squash!

Spinning

My head is spinning with thoughts that are going in about a dozen directions!

Here's just a sample:

• Starting three new classes: Pediatrics, Labor/Delivery and Nursing Dimensions
• Course assignments and study guides already posted in all their tree-killing glory!
• Clinical expectations - working with new populations of children, infants, their mothers and families.
• Grad School - to apply or not apply right now; where to apply; deadlines!
• Resume updating and applying for jobs.
• Graduation checklist.
• Calender that is being pushed to the limits with course work deadlines, tests, quizzes, part-time job(s), etc..
• Chicken marinating that must get cooked, chopped and portioned out and frozen.
• Butternut soup that got triple or quadruple-seasoned with oregano that needs more butternut puree added to remedy it so that it can be portioned out.
• Pre-cooked and pre-measured ingredients for Turkey Chili (three batches worth) waiting to be assembled, cooked and portioned out.
• Two heads of lettuce that need to be washed, ripped up and portioned out for salads.
• Three baskets of laundry that need to be put away.
• Plants that need some TLC and new plants purchased/planted.
• Get caught up on six episodes of TV shows, in addition to a whole first season of another TV show that I just discovered.

If anyone would like to send over a personal assistant, chef and/or housekeeper, I'd be very grateful! Or flowers. Flowers would be nice.

Potentially good news: on Monday, I'm briefly meeting with someone who is probably going to strongly suggest that I consider a graduate level nursing degree program at the local university. From what I've gathered over the past week (of working with her on a project) is that she is a much-loved, heavily-awarded faculty member in the school of nursing. When she approached me today about wanting to talk to me about my future plans, I think she told me that she mentioned me to the head of the graduate program after talking to one of the coordinators for the project we just finished today. This person may very well have significant influence when it comes to applications for the program. Finances were the primary reason for me choosing not to attend nursing school at this university ($40K vs. <$10K--I SERIOUSLY do not have any interest in taking on debt!!!), but I would seriously consider this program if they could workout significant financial assistance for school expenses AND if my participation in the graduate program could also positively influence my job applications! It really was very affirming to be told that I had made a positive impression on her (still not sure how that is), enough to warrant her to go ahead and speak to the head of the program about me (without my knowledge). So very affirming.

Counting Down to the Start of My LAST SEMESTER!!!!

A week from now I will be heading to bed in anticipation of starting classes the next day. We've had a nice long semester break...but it's time to go back. One more time. One more semester.

Well, I got my wish. Woo hoo!  I will do my OB clinical at the community hospital (the nice NEW resort-ish hospital) that I wanted. And my Peds clinical will be at the local children's rehab hospital (part of the large teaching hospital). I'm REALLY looking forward to this semester. In order for me to get the community hospital that I wanted, I had to agree to do an evening clinical on Monday. Since there's no clinical prep for OB -- it was a no brainer!  My Peds clinical is on Wednesdays with clinical prep on Tuesday nights (Torture Tuesdays as I call them).

I did decide to pile my lecture days all on Friday which will allow me to have a full day to study for tests, rather than having tests the day after a clinical day (like last semester). Two of my three classes have a hybrid component. Not sure yet what that will look like, but I'm excited! I'm anxious to get our course calendars to find out when quizzes, assignments and tests will be-- as having two tests on the same day will bite big time! Hopefully they've worked that detail out in advance. If not--Grrr! :D

This past week I've started a new part-time job being a home-aide for a man in his mid-80's. Very nice couple. Recently he developed some new hip pain that has caused him to use a walker and his wife is a bit nervous about him falling etc.. So I basically just following him around the house when he moves around and help him out as needed. Pretty low key and very good money for what I do. Looks like I'll be spending 8 hours on Thursdays with him. (I'm working three days this week, two days next and then hopefully switch to one day a week after that). The great thing about this job is that I can totally work on school stuff while I'm there! If I don't take anything with me... I would be utterly bored. They've given me wireless access-- so I'm good to go! :D   At this point I'm also planning to keep my other 4 hour a week job with the local artist. I'm hopeful that I can work for her on Monday mornings before I go in for my clinical at 2:30pm. Thankfully no parking issues or bus rides to deal with, so considerably less travel time required -- but then again, it is on a completely different side of town.

I'm still trying to figure out my "life schedule" for this semester (studying, work, gym time, errands, etc...). Three classes, two clinicals, job search, two part-time jobs, and possibly joining a committee or two within the nursing school!  Oh mercy, I just completely overwhelmed myself! Breathe.


The main project on my shoulders right now, before school starts, is to get my computer back to better functioning. For the past six months it's been getting slower and slower. Well, for being almost six years old, it's done a good job so far. No serious problems to speak of. So while I hoped that just removing data/files from it (memory storage was 95% full) would solve the slowness...I think I'm going to have to take more drastic measures and completely reinstall Windows and set it back to the way it was when I bought it. I've been reading/researching how to prep for it (exporting this and that), and I'm about 85% done with the prep work. My goal is to get the install and reloading of software/data done this weekend...and then early next week I can spend time getting it set up the way I like (colors, backgrounds, font preferences, etc...). My goal is to keep my computer functioning (and keep me SANE) for this last semester. About two or three weeks ago, I started researching computers and then considered that I could probably make my computer usable again for very little money ($100 external hard drive) and a lot of time...  But this way, rather than spending $900-1000 on the computer that I want, I'll have money later for any car repairs that crop up (15 years old, 222K)--which is a priority too. If I got desperate for a computer, I do have a good desktop computer (which I only used for about year) sitting in the closet at my parent's house. Right now... it's all about saving money and playing it smart. God has abundantly provided by sending me lots of work for me over the holidays (3 weeks at distribution center, several standardized (mock) patient gigs, and now this new part-time job)! This week I'm working 38 hours doing three part-time jobs! It's crazy, but all of them are good paying jobs! Lord willing, there's a wonderful nursing job waiting for me six-seven months from now.


Well, it's late and I'm working tomorrow... so to bed I go. But I'm so glad I still have one week before classes start! :D Still so much to do!

Cheers,
Joy

[Article] You Never Marry the Right Person

In generations past, there was far less talk about “compatibility” and finding the ideal soul-mate. Today we are looking for someone who accepts us as we are and fulfills our desires, and this creates an unrealistic set of expectations that frustrates both the searchers and the searched for...

Check out the rest of the article by Tim Keller here.

A Thousand Years

Never read the books. Never seen the movies. Just heard this song on the radio this morning. It is so beautiful and I feel it deeply.