So I made it to nursing school orientation on Friday. The parts that stick out most is that I was assigned the lab time and the clinical hospital that I wanted; and I learned all the various ways that I can be kicked out of the program. They fed us some juice and granola bars, since we must be healthy people going in to health care. As I looked around at my cohort, I noticed that there are a few who are morbidly obese, and when we had a break at least a third went out to puff on cancer sticks. Yup. Good, healthy people.
I will be at a true nursing home for clinicals on Mondays and Tuesdays from 7 freaking early am to 1:30. Wednesday through Friday I will have classes from 9 till noon, and on Thursdays a skills lab till 2:30 too. Not too shabby. Planning to work a couple shifts a week at the assisted living home. It has grown on me.
I have been battling a sore throat and fatige for six days now. Think I have mono. That would be like me. The rest of the world is busy worrying about pig flu and I go get mono. I already had it too. Apparently it is a lovely little virus that likes to hide in your system and make an appearance to check how things have been in its absence from time to time.
Thinking about getting a tattoo. Opinions?
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Interenet!!!!
So I crashed the computer lab at the local community college to get online and catch up on 7 months of internet fasting. Whoohooo!
Life is good and not much changed since my last post last MAY! Doing my time at the assisted living. The ladies are much the same. They still squabble over who drew a card or not in thier Kings on the Corner games and demand soy sauce for their chicken florentine. I have had some resident changes that have occured. Some have gone home to live with family members, some with God. I learned that I can handle resident deaths well, but I think it will be different depending on the resident. I know you aren't supposed to play favorites, but it must be human nature. They were all ready to go, and though there is grief for the family, there is peace in living to 94, saying goodbye and going home to the Lord, never to suffer again.
On a lighter note, school starts for me in January. I am getting psyched to move forward. I have orientation on Friday, so I will have more to say with what will happen after that. I know that I will have clinicals two days a week, which means I will be paying the school to be allowed to work at a nursing home... oh well. If this gets me closer to being a midwife, so be it. For now I am frantically working out my school loans and grant. I should be recieving grant money from the state that will pay for half of school since nursing is in high demand. As of august, I was in, but I get nervous with months passing and no communication.
I adore my cat. I weighed him this morning and he has hit 8 pounds! Since he was a stray baby, I had to guess his birthday, and affectionatly placed him on April 1st, since I still feel like it is some sort of prank that I ever got him. I guess that makes him about 7 to 8 months old. He has now had all his baby shots, is fixed, and (I'm not thrilled, but) declawed.(appartment rules). I find it ironic that my cat is an anxious little guy.(I have anxiety issues, and God has a sense of humor.) I think he doesn't like my ever changing schedule and not knowing when I will be home with him, so he has decided that I may not be more than 3 feet from him when I am home and he constantly talks to me. I love it.
Life is good and not much changed since my last post last MAY! Doing my time at the assisted living. The ladies are much the same. They still squabble over who drew a card or not in thier Kings on the Corner games and demand soy sauce for their chicken florentine. I have had some resident changes that have occured. Some have gone home to live with family members, some with God. I learned that I can handle resident deaths well, but I think it will be different depending on the resident. I know you aren't supposed to play favorites, but it must be human nature. They were all ready to go, and though there is grief for the family, there is peace in living to 94, saying goodbye and going home to the Lord, never to suffer again.
On a lighter note, school starts for me in January. I am getting psyched to move forward. I have orientation on Friday, so I will have more to say with what will happen after that. I know that I will have clinicals two days a week, which means I will be paying the school to be allowed to work at a nursing home... oh well. If this gets me closer to being a midwife, so be it. For now I am frantically working out my school loans and grant. I should be recieving grant money from the state that will pay for half of school since nursing is in high demand. As of august, I was in, but I get nervous with months passing and no communication.
I adore my cat. I weighed him this morning and he has hit 8 pounds! Since he was a stray baby, I had to guess his birthday, and affectionatly placed him on April 1st, since I still feel like it is some sort of prank that I ever got him. I guess that makes him about 7 to 8 months old. He has now had all his baby shots, is fixed, and (I'm not thrilled, but) declawed.(appartment rules). I find it ironic that my cat is an anxious little guy.(I have anxiety issues, and God has a sense of humor.) I think he doesn't like my ever changing schedule and not knowing when I will be home with him, so he has decided that I may not be more than 3 feet from him when I am home and he constantly talks to me. I love it.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Baxter
Pigs are flying. Or swine flu came to town. Something like that. I now own a cat.
He is an adorable, 8 week old kitten. He cries a lot. He can't resist a laser light (I like making it dissapear under a door and watch him hunker down to wait for it to come back out to play.) I have trouble walking through the appartment because he feels he needs to keep up with me. When I load the dishwasher, he helps by climbing in. When i open the cabinet he needs to inspect it for treats. He likes following the curser as I type on the TV and pounces on my phone when I text. He is currently munching a tortilla my husband tossed him, or rather gagging on it. (don't turn me in to PETA, he's fine). Life is good.
He is an adorable, 8 week old kitten. He cries a lot. He can't resist a laser light (I like making it dissapear under a door and watch him hunker down to wait for it to come back out to play.) I have trouble walking through the appartment because he feels he needs to keep up with me. When I load the dishwasher, he helps by climbing in. When i open the cabinet he needs to inspect it for treats. He likes following the curser as I type on the TV and pounces on my phone when I text. He is currently munching a tortilla my husband tossed him, or rather gagging on it. (don't turn me in to PETA, he's fine). Life is good.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
more from age four
My mom, sister, 4 year old nephew and nearly 3 year old niece just left from visiting us this weekend. Other than the little ones being too excited to sleep the first night, things went pretty well. We discovered they will not sleep in the same room together, my niece is too talkative and can't help chattering away with a captive audience. The kids loved the turtles and hamster, but I can't say the hamster felt the same way. I figured they would enjoy watching her run in the ball, which they did, however my niece lost her focus on the living thing within, and tried to play soccer with it. We also took them to the camp we worked at to see the animals and play on the playgrounds. I am loaded with two days worth of great kids' quotes
niece: what is in the field?
grandma: wheat or corn
niece: Wheater! That is wheater!
My nephew experienced a port-a-potty for the first time. He had some concerns.
nephew: how do I flush it?
mom: you don't. It stays down in the blue water until someone comes to clean it out.
nephew: what if somebody else poops in it?
mom: then it goes in the blue water too.
nephew: YOU MEAN THEIR POOP WILL MIX WITH MINE?!
We took the kids to see the new colt at camp. It was busy swishing his tail to protect itself from the mosquitos,
niece: the horsey is waving at me with his butt!
niece: what is in the field?
grandma: wheat or corn
niece: Wheater! That is wheater!
My nephew experienced a port-a-potty for the first time. He had some concerns.
nephew: how do I flush it?
mom: you don't. It stays down in the blue water until someone comes to clean it out.
nephew: what if somebody else poops in it?
mom: then it goes in the blue water too.
nephew: YOU MEAN THEIR POOP WILL MIX WITH MINE?!
We took the kids to see the new colt at camp. It was busy swishing his tail to protect itself from the mosquitos,
niece: the horsey is waving at me with his butt!
Monday, April 20, 2009
foggy
I feel foggy. It is 1 am, I just got off work. Gave 2 showers, 3 nebulizer treatments, helped people pee half a dozen times, passed a gaggle of pills, and still did all the dinner dishes. I did't see my husband today either. His friend bought a jeep. He took the top off while it was gorgous last weekend. It rained today. He didn't know how to get the top back on. The only hour we would have had today together my husband spent taking his friend to the jeep dealer for lessons on how to put the top back on. Yeah. That was my day.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Pretend Students
So I have been tutoring in a community college biology class. This is a class I took last year, and recieved a very good A with lots of study. So to make a few extra bucks, I am now an SI, or supplemental instructor. Sort of like a GA for community college. I attend a class and thier labs, and lead study sessions once a week to try to help people pass. I am fed up with students giving no effort, and whining that they aren't passing. My boss at the assistant living home says it is becuase there is too easy of rewards, like kids in baseball, everyone gets a trophy, whether they won the championship (if they were even allowed to keep score, or if they were dead last. Everyone wins, no matter how much effort or success actually happened. So now we have produced students who actually think that just for paying for the class they should automatically pass (true quote!)
Here are the top ten signs that your students are not passing Biology 101:
10. the student, after not taking the first three oppurtunities, asks when there will be extra credit.
9. We are now in chapter 18. The student comes to you confused over the material from chapter 4.
8. The student has missed the first two lecture exams. 7 weeks later, asks if they can make them up.
7. there are 48 people enrolled, 17 show up, 3 leave during break
6. the student is "taking notes" on thier laptop, but actually talking on facebook
5. the student shows up for lab prac., having never been to a lab, and is in shock that there are tests for labs, and gets a 4 out of 50.
4. the student comes to you 9 weeks into the course, and asks why they are failing, "but I never fail!?" All you can say is "Who are you? I've never seen you before."
3. In lab, the student should be looking at a paramecium, and is focused on the interesting jagged edge of the glass slide under the microscope. Wait, was that an air bubble?
2. the student has not shown up for 4 weeks ("but I have doctor notes!"). We have been observing pond water. We ask if she has brought in her pond water sample. She looks in her FOLDER to see if she has it.
1. the student's mom calls to let you know they are in jail, and will be out for the next few weeks.
Here are the top ten signs that your students are not passing Biology 101:
10. the student, after not taking the first three oppurtunities, asks when there will be extra credit.
9. We are now in chapter 18. The student comes to you confused over the material from chapter 4.
8. The student has missed the first two lecture exams. 7 weeks later, asks if they can make them up.
7. there are 48 people enrolled, 17 show up, 3 leave during break
6. the student is "taking notes" on thier laptop, but actually talking on facebook
5. the student shows up for lab prac., having never been to a lab, and is in shock that there are tests for labs, and gets a 4 out of 50.
4. the student comes to you 9 weeks into the course, and asks why they are failing, "but I never fail!?" All you can say is "Who are you? I've never seen you before."
3. In lab, the student should be looking at a paramecium, and is focused on the interesting jagged edge of the glass slide under the microscope. Wait, was that an air bubble?
2. the student has not shown up for 4 weeks ("but I have doctor notes!"). We have been observing pond water. We ask if she has brought in her pond water sample. She looks in her FOLDER to see if she has it.
1. the student's mom calls to let you know they are in jail, and will be out for the next few weeks.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
spring cleaning
So I had the chance to use a real keyboard yesterday, but do I? No. Instead I use the real internet access with the added perk of a hard drive to find the cute little picture of the bird. So now I am again hunt-and-peck-wii-mote typing and cramping my hand. What a cute bird.
Today my husband and I are cleaning the appartment. We do this on occasion; usually when my parents are coming, or like now, when appartment inspections are coming. Every six months our landlords get to come look around, looking for structural damage, hidden cats, burn marks, or meth labs, and make sure we are all being good little residents.
On our one and only previous inspection, we were left a nice little love note that we were in lease violation for "some minor housekeeping issues." So there were a couple of cereal bowls not in the dishwasher, and a stack of unfolded laundry was hibernating on the living room floor. How could we be so dangerous. Jerks.
So that brings us to why today is cleaning day. The last two weeks of this month are inspection days. Time to get out the shovels and a can of lysol.
Today my husband and I are cleaning the appartment. We do this on occasion; usually when my parents are coming, or like now, when appartment inspections are coming. Every six months our landlords get to come look around, looking for structural damage, hidden cats, burn marks, or meth labs, and make sure we are all being good little residents.
On our one and only previous inspection, we were left a nice little love note that we were in lease violation for "some minor housekeeping issues." So there were a couple of cereal bowls not in the dishwasher, and a stack of unfolded laundry was hibernating on the living room floor. How could we be so dangerous. Jerks.
So that brings us to why today is cleaning day. The last two weeks of this month are inspection days. Time to get out the shovels and a can of lysol.
Friday, March 27, 2009
4 to 94: issue one
This idea has been developing in my mind for the past couple of months. Mainly I think it is confused about what happened. I went to school for early childhood ed, student taught 3rd grade, taught preschool for a term, and now I find myself a direct care worker at an assisted living home. So now I can't help noticing some amazing similarities between these age groups who exist at such opposing ends of life's spectrum.
both 4 and 94 year-olds will point out the exact spot on their plate where they want their ketchup puddle for fry dunking
both 4 and 94 year olds try to play card games, but only one player remembers the rules and often changes them for their own benefit,
both 4 and 94 year olds can easily be distracted about having to do something they don't want to by being told "you GET to (fill in blank) now!"
both 4 and 94 year olds are extremely picky eaters
both 4 and 94 year olds think their favorite show should be on RIGHT NOW, just keep changing the channel, it has to be there somewhere.
both 4 and 94 year olds resist taking their bath, every week
both 4 and 94 year olds think their neighbor at the table got more mandarin oranges in their cup, even though you've counted the exact amount to be fair
this is the one that annoys me most:
both 4 and 94 year olds think they are the only person who really matters and I am there to serve and gravel at their feet.
okay, that one was a bit mean, I am a bit annoyed today about the expectant attitutes with little greatfulness. So here is some of the goodies:
both love hugs
both sneak candy
both love jokes
Some quotes:
4-year-old: (about the overly sticky homemade playdough) "This playdough is like mud on on a warm summer's day" (insert wistful little sigh)
94-year old:
Me: How are you feeling today?
her: "Why, I feel with my hands, every day."
both 4 and 94 year-olds will point out the exact spot on their plate where they want their ketchup puddle for fry dunking
both 4 and 94 year olds try to play card games, but only one player remembers the rules and often changes them for their own benefit,
both 4 and 94 year olds can easily be distracted about having to do something they don't want to by being told "you GET to (fill in blank) now!"
both 4 and 94 year olds are extremely picky eaters
both 4 and 94 year olds think their favorite show should be on RIGHT NOW, just keep changing the channel, it has to be there somewhere.
both 4 and 94 year olds resist taking their bath, every week
both 4 and 94 year olds think their neighbor at the table got more mandarin oranges in their cup, even though you've counted the exact amount to be fair
this is the one that annoys me most:
both 4 and 94 year olds think they are the only person who really matters and I am there to serve and gravel at their feet.
okay, that one was a bit mean, I am a bit annoyed today about the expectant attitutes with little greatfulness. So here is some of the goodies:
both love hugs
both sneak candy
both love jokes
Some quotes:
4-year-old: (about the overly sticky homemade playdough) "This playdough is like mud on on a warm summer's day" (insert wistful little sigh)
94-year old:
Me: How are you feeling today?
her: "Why, I feel with my hands, every day."
Thursday, March 26, 2009
real post, typed real slow
I need a real keyboard... but this works to let me write a bit.
I am called Sparrow at a summer camp/outdoor education camp in Northern CA. We all had to choose cheesy, outdoorsy names for the kids to call us, because that is apparently more fun and makes it easier for us to hide our facebook identities from overly enthusiastic campers when we return to the new world. It also makes it hard for us to find each other. My phone number list in my cell has names like: Daisy, Cougar, Steller Jay, Rodeo, and Sarge, all are people I was once pretty close to, and can`t remember what their real names are.
My husband chose to be "Walker" as in Texas Ranger. This added to the kids` confusion as he was one of the few allowed to drive around on camp.
I called myself Sparrow. Not, as one parent asked, because I think so little of myself, but because I needed the daily reminder that God is in control and was taking care of me. There is a verse, I think in John, about how God will care for us abd we are not to worry; we can see that He even cares for even the smallest sparrows. (my paraphrasing of course). Every time I was called Sparrow, Iwas reminded of this promise. I have a little sparrow figuriene to this day on my nightstand as a reminder, and thought continuing the name would be nice in continuing quest to learn not to worry.
what would you name yourself?
I am called Sparrow at a summer camp/outdoor education camp in Northern CA. We all had to choose cheesy, outdoorsy names for the kids to call us, because that is apparently more fun and makes it easier for us to hide our facebook identities from overly enthusiastic campers when we return to the new world. It also makes it hard for us to find each other. My phone number list in my cell has names like: Daisy, Cougar, Steller Jay, Rodeo, and Sarge, all are people I was once pretty close to, and can`t remember what their real names are.
My husband chose to be "Walker" as in Texas Ranger. This added to the kids` confusion as he was one of the few allowed to drive around on camp.
I called myself Sparrow. Not, as one parent asked, because I think so little of myself, but because I needed the daily reminder that God is in control and was taking care of me. There is a verse, I think in John, about how God will care for us abd we are not to worry; we can see that He even cares for even the smallest sparrows. (my paraphrasing of course). Every time I was called Sparrow, Iwas reminded of this promise. I have a little sparrow figuriene to this day on my nightstand as a reminder, and thought continuing the name would be nice in continuing quest to learn not to worry.
what would you name yourself?
first try
I am painstakingly writing this on my Nintendo Wii. Must point controller at hunt and peck keyboard on TV. Just wanted to try it out. Real posts to come with real keyboard.
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