1st day of Spring Semester '12

Today was the first day of Spring semester.  My earliest class this semester is at 9:40am, which is so nice.  I get to get the kiddies ready and on the bus before I get myself together. It also gives me time to find parking, go over notes and everything without rushing.  I dislike rushing in the mornings.
Today's classes were Organic Chemistry and Anatomy and Physiology 2.  My Organic Chem class is called Foundations of Organic Chemistry. I tried to take O Chem 1 but heard they were discontinuing it in favor of this class. When it came time to register for Spring they had O Chem 1 listed, but no class listings. So I guess the rumor I heard was true. Well I just checked, it looks like they started phasing it out in 2009 so yep. Instead of O Chem 1 and 2 there is now Foundations of Organic Chemistry and Foundations of BioOrganic Chemistry.   Same book and class just different names.
Anyway I think I'll enjoy the Organic Chemistry class. Today was an introduction then we got started with Lewis Dot structures and molecular formula's. We're suppose to be able to recognize trends in intramolecular forces and how to tell the properties of the substance(with info from the Lewis dot structure) by the 1st exam. Plus a ton of other stuff, it's a fast paced class. Easy peasy, right?  I'm glad I've found A Doc 2 Be over at Non Trad Pre Med.  It's great to be able to ask someone who's been in the trenches already.  I don't know too many people personally who have had this level of science classes.
Well I'm off to try and not burn dinner while finding some molecular structure models and going over A&P2 and O Chem notes. Oh and I didn't mention what I thought of the A&P class.  It's huge, the teachers kinda funny. I'm not sure what I feel about him selling his 464 page book of class notes.  I remember better when I write stuff down during lecture. Listening and then reading doesn't do it for me. I need to read, then listen and write concurrently.  So I'll take notes and then compare to what he has (for free) online.

So Ready...

...for classes to start again.  I need my routine back, I need a reason to leave this house again, I need to get back to studying.
I think the break between fall and spring semesters is way too long.  For me anyway.  I could easily of went back on January 2nd and been happy.  I look forward to the end of a semester due to needing a stress break from system overload. However, I also look forward to the beginning of one.  Especially after being out for almost a month (well  like 3 1/2 weeks, close enough).
The next 3 semesters are very important, my gpa is borderline and I need more A's to bring it up to a more competitive score.  So I've got to bring my game face and get organized over the weekend.  Come next Thursday it's on.
I'm debating right now if I still want to pursue medical school. I'd love to be a doctor, to do what I've wrote in an earlier post.  I just don't know if I'll be able.  We are struggling financially right now and I'm looking at 2 more years of school (well one more year of undergrad plus 9 to 24 months of internship) before I can begin a career.  I'm not sure Hubby could handle another 8 years of us having one income.  So that's a dream that may end up permanently on the shelf.  I'm not to upset by this thought though.  I'm heading toward an academically challenging career as a Registered Dietitian.  Getting accepted into an internship program is tough (I read a while back that only about half the applicants get accepted every year).  I'm looking at the possibility of being away from my family during the week from months to up to two years (dependent on which internship I'm accepted into).  There are 2 in Memphis and one that's a couple hours away, after that I'm looking at 4-7 hour drives.  I'm hoping I don't have to go any further then that.  I plan on going on to get my Master's and PhD as well.  Though it may be a year or two after internship before I start on that.  Well, some internships include a Master's program so that would be a two birds with one stone situation.  Then I could work a couple years then find a PhD program.
This year is going to be tough, between trying to ace classes and then I also have to study for the GRE and get mentally ready for internship acceptance or rejection.  Rejections are tough and I don't do so well with them, but I have to be ready for it.
Anyway, I titled this post So Ready... because I'm ready for semester to start.  I get lazy if I'm home too long and need a routine that includes leaving the house on a daily basis.  I've got some good plans and I don't think I've been so mentally ready for a semester to start before.  Everyone tells me I'm smart...I tell them I'm not, I'm just persistent.   I think this may be the semester to prove them right though.

First Day of Fall Semester Was...

Interesting to say the least. My first class on Monday's is Intro to Foods. Here we will learn how to create and read recipes. I think I will love this class and look forward to learning a ton. The teacher is so so. She's not the best lecturer I've had. When trying to explain water bonding (hydrogen bonding really) she kept referring to the way batteries attract and repel each other. Now I know she probably meant magnets. At least I hope she meant magnets.

Our big project for this class is creating a pot luck project. We had to pick a culture to pick a recipe from. I chose British Isles. Not sure what I'll be cooking yet. The British Isles is composed of several different groups. You have the British, Scottish, and Irish and so I guess I'll try to find a recipe that incorporates all three. Haggis anyone? Beef Tongue?

Then there is my marketing class. This teacher wants to take a class of 98-100 people and try to teach it like it was a class of 20. She had us break into groups of 6 to discuss value and quality of watches, cars, and laptops. It was kind of a madhouse, but I'm sure it will straighten out as soon as everyone gets used to her way of teaching.

Finally there was Intro to Physics. The teacher seems okay, he was kinda funny and laid back. My classmates are an eclectic mix. Most seemed normal then in walks a 200+ lb woman in a very small black dress. Everyone kinda cringed when she went to sit down, hoping that she would not bend over any. Later into the class a guy with a red faux hawk speaks up and wants to discuss alien conspiracy theories with the professor. He tries to get the professor involved in a discussion on whether or not our technology came from alien technology. Okay then. Then in walks the poster child for those before and after meth photos. She looks like she decided to take a pair of scissors and randomly wack off her hair. Oh and might as well do the shirt as well. She has very pale skin with make up on as an attempt to cover the big sores on her cheeks. Apparently she sliced her toe open on the way to class and had to clean it off in the bathroom and has a huge bunch of paper towels hanging from the front of her sandals. Interesting folks here.

So I'm fixing to go to my Tuesday classes wondering what today will bring.

I Feel Like Such a Failure

I really do, my posted grades so far look like this A, D, A, B+...with a possible A- and B(?) soon to be posted. That D that is just screaming at me is in General Chemistry I.  Yep I failed, again.  It's a bit better then last semester, but it's still not a passing grade.  I need at least a C- to pass, to move on...I failed to do that.  Why am I struggling so much?  I know it's partly(mostly) my fault.  There were some online homework sets that I didn't do that may of been enough to bring me to passing.  I didn't do them because I kept missing the deadlines.  The professor would open one on, say, Wednesday afternoon at 1pm.  Then close it on Monday at 8am.  The next one would be open on a Friday at 8am and close the next Friday at 2pm.  There was no, (shoot what word am I thinking of), no set schedule of when homework would be assigned and when it would be due.  Sometimes he didn't tell us until the day it was due that he had opened it up.  One homework set was opened and due within a couple hours of it being opened.  So I missed nearly half of the assignments because of that. I would go to the website to check and find out I had missed the cutoff by minutes.
Will I try again? Yes, I cannot let that grade set on my record.  I've read of med students who took Gen Chem 4 or 5 times and still got accepted, but I'm not sure I'll be that fortunate.  I've got so much not going for me.  Sometimes I feel like I picked too big a mountain to climb.  Just finishing my bachelor's and giving up that dream sometimes looks good.  I will feel like shit if I do that (to put it bluntly).  I'll have to live my life knowing I failed.  I'll live the rest of my life feeling like I failed not only myself, but my husband, my children, my family, my coworkers, my friends.  Also those future patients who I dreamed of making their lives easier, healthier, better.  At this point I think Atlas has less weight on his shoulders then I do.

So Nervous

Today is finals day for American History and Accounting.  I've been studying on and off for the past few weeks. I'm terrified.  What happens if I forget everything once I sit down to take the exams?  Will I be okay if I don't do so hot?  Monday I have Gen Chem I and Intro to Dietetics, Tuesday the last Statistics test.  I made an A- in Chemistry lab.  I want to pull a C for lecture so I can finally move on.  I'll have an A in Statistics after Tuesday (I love self-led classes).  I'm hoping for a B but will be glad for a C in Dietetics.  I think I'll have at least a B in History and again hoping for a B but glad for a C in Accounting.   Not the best grades, I know.  However as I'm taking harder and harder classes as long as I've honestly tried I'm happy with B's (C's still not okay, but I'll live with them).
My test anxiety is mild compared to other people.  Everyone gets anxious because the final test is, normally, such a big part of your grade.  My chemistry final is worth 160 points out of a total 500 points, that's 32% of my total grade.  That can make or break you. It's sorta comprehensive as well.  The professor said it was going to have chapters 9 and 10 and some from the earlier chapters as well.  I'm thinking it's mostly going to be 9 and 10 with some extras thrown in to fill up the points necessary.  So I'm studying chapters 1-10 with extra attention to the areas that I've had difficulties with (gas laws and the energy problems mostly).  Accounting should be okay as long as I remember how bonds are done and get assets, liabilities, cash flows all straight.  I took a mock final last night and wasn't too impressed with myself.  History is easy, I've been learning American History since kindergarten.  It doesn't change much so I'll look over my notes here in a few minutes and I'm confident I'll do fine.  Dietetics is, well different.  I have a feeling most of her questions are going to be over the American Dietetic Society.  So I'll make sure I know their mission and goals and everything and go over the power points she did in class.
I was told by a former co-worker last night that I came up in conversation the other day.  Everyone is talking about how well I'm doing.  I adore my ex co-workers and do hope I live up to the hype.  I've been getting told by quite a few people that so and so mentioned how proud they were of me and how smart I am.  I don't feel smart most of the time.  I'm so worried that I'm going to disappoint a ton of people.  This doesn't help my stress/anxiety levels any.  I'm glad that people think well of me, I hope I can surpass their expectations. It's a struggle at times (most of the time actually).  I get frustrated, my house gets messy, I forget things (appointments, bills, keys, kids' homework). I feel like I'm expected to do everything and do it exceptionally well. I'm not perfect, I'm human.  I try my best and cross my fingers and pray to whichever deity ( god, goddess, God, Flying Spaghetti Monster) will listen.

Semester is almost over and I think I'm doing all right in most of my classes. Calculus is kinda iffy and I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to retake Gen. ChemI. The others I'm sure I'm doing just fine in. I'm switching majors from Biochem to Dietetics. Still have to take Gen. Chemistry and Organic Chemistry, ugh. Anyway I think it'll go more towards the type of doctor I want to be. If I was heading into pathology, endocrinology, oncology then Biochemistry would be great. I just want to be a Family physician. I want to treat the whole someone, not just give them a pill and send them on their way. I want to be able to give them the tools they need to live a healthy life. In order to teach my patients I have to learn. I want to be able to do so much, I really hope I can get there. I'll be a good doctor, I know this in my heart.

Updating

Well I did OK on the Ultrasimple diet even though I didn't really finish the week out. I caught a cold on that Thursday as ya'll know and it just got worse over the weekend. I'm almost over it just a nagging cough that's hanging around. Even though I missed the last few days I still lost 9lbs and now that I'm starting to feel better my energy level is slowly going up and I want to do more, I don't just feel like doing more I actually want to get up and do it. That's big for me 'cause I'm one of the world's worst procrastinators. Now finding the time to do more may be different. I want to do another week, but I'm waiting till I get the book. I did the first week based on Dr. Hyman's website but I feel like I missed something. I read on the website's forum that some people started taking the lemon/oil shot and then got to a point where they just couldn't do it anymore. They suggested that since the shot is suppose to be a liver detox, maybe the not being able to drink it anymore was their bodies way of telling them that it was good. I like to believe that 'cause I just got to where just the thought was making me gag. At first I didn't think it was so bad.

Some pluses from doing the Ultrasimple diet have been:

1. 9lb weight loss
2. 2.5 inches off my belly and hips
3. lost craving for soda (I actually tried to drink a Mountain Dew yesterday and just couldn't do it. It tasted slimy and thick and way too sweet).
4. Less cravings for sweets ( I'm able to satisfy it with fruit or just a small bite of something sweet)
5. Reduced appetite (I'm only able to eat about half as much as I was. I'm stopping when I realize that I'm not hungry anymore and before I get that too full feeling).

I'm also reading Dr. Hyman's Ultrametabolism book. It's very interesting and I'll summarize some of it once I get it all read. When I do the diet again I'm going to make time for the yoga and workouts. I admit I didn't really do that too well.

Okay now on the school front...

My classes seem all right so far. I have a couple strict teachers but I can handle that. I had a pre-test on Wednesday in my Gen. Chemistry class. The professor said that if you didn't get at least 8 points he suggests that you go in the next lower class. Well I got 6. Not so good but I don't think I'll take his advice. I really don't want to retake an Intro to Chemistry class. I'll take this quiz as a sign that I'm going to have to study 3x as hard in order to make it. It's been quite a while since my last Chemistry class and I have forgotten some of the math. When it comes to math, though, it usually comes back to me quickly as I do it. So I have to study harder in order to keep up. I just want the opportunity to try. So I hope he doesn't bring it up. He said that some people (like 40%) do pass with a C or higher that make lower then 8pts. I think I can be in that 40. I know I can. Speaking of Chemistry I need to get off of here so I can go finish reading chapter one for class tomorrow and read some more of Antigone for Lit. tomorrow.

Almost time

Class starts 8:55 am sharp Monday morning. I'm so anxious right now. I asked for prn/part-time at work. I just don't think there's anyway that I can hack working 11p-7a 5 days a week then driving 45 minutes to class M-F sitting in classrooms from 8:55 to 12:30 then driving home to finally find some sleep. Then doing homework, eating, family time and back to work at 11pm. I'm exhausted just doing work and home right now. I average about 5 hours a day of sleep during work days. It would be fine if it was 5 hours straight, but it's 3 and a half to 4 hours here and another hour or so there. I do not want to fall asleep at the wheel driving the about 45 minute commute to and from the campus. I do not want to fall asleep during class(especially during the the summer semester...the classes are truncated and fast-paced to fit a 3 month class into 5-6 weeks). So when it comes to making a choice there really isn't one. Work has to go. We can live off Hubby's income. Won't like it, but it's doable.

I'm half afraid that I just got myself laid off in the asking though. New D.O.N. is on a power trip and it's not taking much for her to fire people. She just fired one nurse for taking a smoking break. Said nurse had hall covered, not her fault the CNA covering lights was busy with a resident the second the D.O.N. decided to take a stroll up the hall. According to the nurse the D.O.N. started screaming at her and acting very unprofessional. While I'll miss the paycheck a little, I did sign up for work study at the college. So I'll have some extra income to help with expenses this fall. Just gotta make it through summer.

Speaking of making it through the summer. My Spanish teacher just emailed us the class syllabus. I had to pay 88 dollars for two passcodes for the site the book publisher uses with the books. Apparently 80% of our homework is going to be done on this site. We are to avoid speaking English in class. My high school Spanish is very rusty (practically non-existent). This class should be fun. Nice thing is our final is only going to be 25% of our total grade. I've had worse and passed. I'm looking forward to the challenge.

Whew

I got up fairly early this morning; made banana-coconut muffins, made coffee, got boys up to go down to friend neighbor's house so she could watch them for me. Daughter was already there having stayed the night. I started to drive down the street to head to campus. Get to stop sign and look around realizing I forgot my directions. So I make a u-turn and go back to house to get said directions and other paper that has all the room numbers of people I needed to see. All right on the road now. I go down Danny Thomas and make a left on Poplar. Directions I had wrote down said to make a right on Patterson to go to the campus. Well, I'm looking...and looking, and looking. I keep driving thinking that surely I've passed it. I see White Station, yup I've passed it. So I stop at a gas station and get out my handy dandy cell phone. I MapQuest the college and low and behold I should of turned on another street before turning on Patterson. Okay no problem I just get back on Poplar and head back and find my destination. I see it's metered parking...Okay well, I had thought there was a parking attendant (assumed by the way the website read). No problem, website said dollar an hour right. Nope, it was a dollar for 30 minutes. Crap. So I put in what quarters I had and run in to find out where I need to go and to get some change. I run back out and put enough in for a hour (can only do one hour at a time). I hurry up to take the COMPASS test, worrying that I'm going to find a ticket on my windshield by the time I get done. As I finish I glance over at the wall...there's a sign saying you can go to parking services and get a vistor's permit for a dollar FOR THE WHOLE DAY. So I find out where this parking services is...of course it's on the other side of campus. I run back out to my vehicle and see the parking security looking at cars. Crap. I hurry up and put 30 more min back on the meter (it had just ran out). Then I huff it over to the parking services office and pay my dollar and get my sign to hang in the window. I then walk briskly back around to the parking lot (envious of everyone on bicycles....now there's an idea) and see that I have 5 min left on the timer. I put my sign up and breathe a sigh of relief and think it would of been great to know someone who attended The U of M so they could of pointed out these little things. Oh on a side note, I saw people playing Frisbee on the campus lawn. My thought was "Wow, they really do that" I thought it was just made up in movies, lol. Okay got all that squared away...now to hustle over and see if I can find and meet my advisor. I get to the chemistry building and wow my luck he's in his office. Of course my luck being what it is he has a class in 15 minutes. So we have a quick advising session and he says what I've picked out looks good for a start and if I ever want to go over in more detail what I need to do for the next few years let him know. He seems like a nice enough guy and is not pushy and telling me what he thinks i outta take. I like it when people realize I know my own mind. Then I ask a fellow student to clarify where the University Center building is and head over there to turn in financial aid papers. I've never seen so many people in one setting. There are students laughing, doing classwork, passing out pamphlets, rushing to where they need to be. I love it. I get everything turned in and head home to pick up the kiddies and register my classes. Only to find out I need to prove that I've had my MMR vaccination. No problem, I have my immunization record right........Crap. I do not know how I can hang on to a little piece of paper for 31 years only to lose it when I need it the most. So now I get to go over to the health department to get jabbed in the arm so that I can fully register for classes.

So my classes will be: For summer College Algebra and Elementary Spanish 1; For Fall General Chemistry 1, General Chem lab 1, literary Heritage, World Civilization 1, Elementary Calculus, and Fundamental Issues in Philosophy.

I have classes Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8 am to 2:15pm and Tuesday, Thursday from 8:20 am to 12:45 pm. I have no idea when I'll be able to work. I'm hoping the new d.o.n. will let me do weekends. If not I may have to go part-time on second shift. I abhor that shift. She said she would work with me with school though so I'm hopeful. If not there are a couple of nursing homes in town that are hiring for weekenders and I can always try them.

I've got some much to do, to get together, before tomorrow morning. I need to study some math facts in case I do have to take the COMPASS exam in the morning (I'm hoping not, but I'm afraid they'll make me). I need to study(and print out) maps of the campus, because it's huge and I'll get lost. I need to make sure I have all my fin aid forms that are needed to be turned in so I can go to class this summer and in the fall. I need to make sure to write down the classes I'm hoping to take this summer and next fall for when I speak to my advisor tomorrow. I'm looking to spend a good 3 hours at least on campus tomorrow getting all this done. I want to get it done all in one shot though as I don't have gas or time to make several trips back and forth this week. I ought to see if I can find someone else from this area to carpool with. It's only a 30-35 min trip but it's a 30-35 min trip 5 days a week and that'll add up to some fuel usage.

Anyway, I've got so much to do and I sit here reading, playing with the kiddies (who are home on spring break this week) and cooking. One day I'll overcome this bad habit of procrastinating.

Making Plans

Well, I've been making plans in case I don't get accepted into the nursing program for next fall. Yesterday I filled out an application for University of Memphis with a Major in Chemistry. I plan on doing a Major in Chemistry w/ a concentration in Biochemistry with possibly a minor in Biology. What does that all have to do with nursing? Not much. I've decided that if I don't get into the nursing program then I'll switch and go for medicine. The new requirements for a Nurse Practitioner (has to have a doctorate now) takes 7-8 years. To be a doctor in Family medicine takes 10-11 years. 3 years, to me, is not that big of difference. So I decided to reach for the brass ring and, all subject to me not being accepted into the nursing program, go for the MD. To be honest with myself, I would probably make a better doctor then a nurse. I have a tendency to strive for more autonomy then allowed. I will be in my 40s when all's said and done....but that still gives me at about 30 years or more to practice. 10 years...my youngest son and I will be graduating at the same time, him high school and me college. We'll have to through a heck of a graduation party.

Hubby has said he doesn't mind...he said if he hasn't minded about me going to school the past 10 years (on and off) why would he mind another 10. I have such a great hubby...now he better make sure to stay on top of the buildings he's working on from now out(yesterday he took a tumble..managed to catch himself, but the thought of him falling is terrifying and I don't like reminders of how dangerous his job is.)

I'll post more when I know more. Now I'm off to print out transcript requests to send to the 3 other colleges I've attended so that I'll be ready for U of M this summer (Go Tigers!).

It Feels Right

BCHS, the college I wanted to attend to begin with, finally accepted my transcripts. YEAH!! So in about 2 hrs I'll be sitting there taking the HOBET test (Hubby has been calling it my Bilbo test, lol...I told him I let him know if I find a ring, my precciousssss). I had to get updated Letters of Recommendation and update my app. The administrator at the nursing home I work wrote me a glowing recommendation that made me feel so appreciated. Which is big 'cause most of the time at this place you feel like just another disposable peon. Thank you's and Your great's come from the residents and coworkers a lot. The uppers (DON, Administrator, etc.) not so much.

Anyway, so for the last couple of nights I've been brushing up on my math skills making sure I have my formula's and stuff right in my head. I've had enough math I know I know everything, but a lot of the earlier stuff I learned I've forgotten and had to refresh myself. That and ratio's and fractions scare me so I want to make sure I have those down. I just have to tell myself not to get nervous 'cause I should know everything on this test. Somewhere in my little noggin is all the information I need to make a great score.

I'm just so happy I brought my GPA up high enough for them to consider me. I was on cloud 9 when I called the school on Monday to check on my app and got told that. I wasn't going to call due to fear of another rejection. I sucked it up and called and now wonder why I didn't do it sooner.

Well, gonna go and do some last minute studying before I leave. Wish me luck everyone, I'm sure all reading this know how badly I want this.

Well, I took the final for A & P 1 yesterday. I hope I did well. I was pretty confident until I got to the last page and I think I screwed that up. I'll find out today what my final grade is for the class. All in all I'm a little disappointed with the entire thing. We didn't do any lab work what so ever. We only went to the room were lab was suppose to be like 3 times. The rest of the times the teacher just lectured for the four hours. The tests for the class were handwritten 10 minutes before class started. Needless to say they were not well thought out and sucked really bad. I'm glad to be done with it and I'm hoping not to have this particular teacher for A & P 2.

In other news, I'm a finalist in a contest. A while back I entered a contest for a 100.00 Home Depot gift certificate to go towards completing or starting a garden/yard project. I found out this week I was chosen, by random, as a finalist. So if anyone reading this would please, pretty please click on this link and vote for me I would greatly appreciate it. I'm in second place at the moment down by 2 votes and have till the 13th of July. Here's the link http://www.thisgardenisillegal.com/2009/06/home-depot-entry-1-a-bog-garden-of-my-own.html

...it just goes on and on my friend...

Of course since I put that as my title I'm going to have that silly song in my head all day. Okay here's the lyrics so that anyone reading this can be annoyed by it as well.

This is the song that never ends.

It just goes on and on my friend.

Some people started singing it not knowing what it was,

and they'll continue singing it forever just because,

This is the song that never ends.

It just goes on and on my friend

(and you just sing it over and over again).

That's pretty much how the whole month of June has felt like to me. I think it's partly due to this A & P class I'm in. The teacher talks and talks and talks...then sleeps...and then talks some more. I would say he lectures, but he doesn't. He reads a bit from the text or PowerPoint's and then goes off on what he calls "rabbit trails" on a subject that usually is not related to the topic or chapter we are suppose to be going over. Today wasn't so bad I guess. He still stayed off topic more then on, but at least he was talking about his hip replacement and rheumatoid arthritis and the chapter we did today was on joints so hey that does go together somewhat.

A few people dropped the class after the first week or two, some only show up on lab days, and a few are talking about taking the course over in the fall because they feel like they haven't learned a thing.

I've learned some but since I've had A & P once before this is more like a refresher. The other A &P didn't transfer is the only reason I'm taking this one. Only two more weeks left and it'll be over. This weekend I've gotta study my arse off and try to pull an 'A' on Mondays test because I blew this last Mondays test. My own fault, I got mixed up and studied the wrong reference plates.

Well on the home front, it's hot. June came in and decided to quickly remind everyone what summer is like in Memphis, hot and sticky. We've had highs in the 90s or near 90 so far this month. Right now it's 93 with a heat index of 106 (I really hope my hubby is remembering to take breaks and drink fluids). Tomorrows high is 97. Up till this week, we've had lots of rain including a couple bad storms of which 4,000+ people in the Memphis area are still out of power a week later. No power and high temps, I really hope people are checking on their neighbors.

My two oldest are still visiting grandparents in Mo. Hubby is gonna do the switch on Sunday and the two youngest get their chance to visit. It's been quiet(er) with out my daughter around. She is usually the instigator for every little argument around here. I wouldn't change her for the world though. She just won't let anyone walk over her, and I hope that stays.

Anyway guess I'm gonna get off here for a bit and start a load of dishes or do something that may be called housework. I need my oldest son's ability to make it look like I'm working real hard without doing a single thing. I haven't quite figured out how he pulls it off so well.

Have a great day and stay cool

Wow I still have some hair left

I figured I would of done pulled every last strand out over this stupid research paper I'm doing for my English Comp class. It's a 2 month assignment that she decided to give us 2 weeks to do. Okay so it's more like 2 1/2 weeks. Nearly my entire family is about done with this paper as I am. I've neglected my other classes trying to get this dang thing done on time. My entire English class is saying their about to strike. One lady said if she makes a low grade in the class because of this paper she's going to appeal to the Dean. The teacher made the paper and the rough draft and the 10 min presentation due the same week. Forget about the syllabus, that was blown out of the water three weeks into the semester. The rough draft is due Monday, presentations with a PowerPoint 10 min speech and we have to dress up for start Wednesday and the final draft(which has to be in a portfolio with the following: a research prospectus, an annotated bibliography, an outline, copies of the sources and an abstract). Oh and if you have a question on what to do on the paper she directs you to some stupid little link on the assignment paper. So all your answers to all your questions are somewhere on the world wide web. Lovely thing is, is this paper is worth 150 points. That's a big chunk of your grade for the semester. The final is only worth 50 points. I just cannot wait till this semester is over and I hope I can pull a C out of this class just so I do not have to retake it.

It's the week that never ends

It's not been a bad week. Just a real, real slow one I guess. Same 'ol stuff going on except for the kids being on Spring break. It's such a bad week for their spring break for me. I have either class or work every day because my weekend off is coming up.


I got my classes set up for summer and fall. The first half of summer I have A &P I...this class is going to make for some long days. It goes from noon to 4 pm on Mon, Tues, wed. and just noon to two on Thurs. Then the second half of summer I have Math for Nurses. It's only from ten to just about noon but, it's all the way up in dyersburg which means an hour drive for me each way each day. Two hours of driving a day on Tuesdays Wednesdays and Thursdays...what fun. Then this fall, on Mondays Wednesdays and Fridays, I have world religions (because we have to have a humanities class for nursing and this was about the only one in a time slot I had opened that looked remotely interesting) at 8am. At 9am College Algebra. 12:20 to 1:45 with a 1:55 to 4:50p lab on Mondays...Microbiology. Then at 6:35p-9:30p Developmental Psychology. I'm looking forward to the psych and micro classes. Algebra I wish I didn't have to take and I'm not sure about the world religion one...it could be interesting. All in all with class and kids and work...oh and hubby can't leave him out right. I'll have a busy next couple semesters. I also have to take the HESI test in the next few months(I'll probably take it next month) for the nursing program. I get through all this and then all I have is A&P II and nursing courses left before I can earn my ASN...so that's awesome.

I'm also taking some courses pertaining to a BSN(Bachelor's in Nursing). Dyersburg has dual degree curriculum with U of M. I grabbed a paper saying what you have to take so I'm using that to decide on my classes. According to this I only have 8 classes left for my associates and maybe 15 for bachelors(after this coming fall semester). So that's 2 maybe 3 semester left for asn and ,if everything goes well, 5 semesters for bsn. That's not bad at all really. Well I gotta go and get ready for class. Sun's suppose to come out and warm us up today so hoping for a great day.

Not too bad

   At least not as bad as I thought it would be.  This week could of been a lot better if I didn't have this cold though.  This cold has seriously gotten me thinking about going back on the Blood Type diet.  On that plan my sinuses didn't bother me, I slept great and had a ton of energy (and lost some weight so that's good too).  The hardest thing about it was sticking with it because I'm the only one in my bunch that has type O blood.  Everyone else are A's (lucky, it means they have a much easier to get food list....try fixing meals with no wheat or corn).   I need to do that or give the Eat-Clean plan a better try...I'll probably do that as the nearest health food store is a 45 minute drive and Krogers' spelt flour is high.  I'm doing much better about my sugar, I think anyways.  In my coffee instead of sugar I'm using stevia.  It's sweeter and no nasty aftertaste like artificial sweeteners.  Still more sugar then I should in other things but I'm working on it...baby steps.

   School was good this week.  I messed up in English this morning, though.  The professor asked what we thought the "simple operation" in Hemingway's "The Hills Like White Elephants" was referring to.  Well, I had thought the lady was going to have a lobotomy...because they(the characters) kept talking how everyone who had the operation were happier afterwards and she could say things like the hills look like elephants and how she would be happy and they could be like they were before.  She also seemed rambly and depressed and angry...I don't know the story just didn't shout out abortion to me.  I mean "everyone is happy after they had it done." does not strike me that way.  Then I had to think while I was talking to my sister about this...this story is written by a man with a man's point-of-view/opinion so a woman's feelings would not be included in it.   So that could be the reason that I couldn't see the hints and clues as to what the short story was about.    Oh well, I'll try to do better next time.  I did all right on the other short story we had to read "Civil Peace" by Chinua Achebe.  I liked that one better as well.  

Well I'm off to figure out what I'm going to fix for dinner and see how the kiddies day went.  My youngest son  just came up to me wanting to now how to spell store. He's making a sign for a 100cent store.  I guess that's another way of saying Dollar store.

T.G.I.F.

This week has been a bit frustrating.  I've been trying to get fin. aid all straightened out so I can attend classes next week.  Well Wednesday I get told that I need to have my h.s. transcript sent in before they can approve/award any financial aid.  Classes had to be paid for by Thursday. Well I get that done and go up there Thursday after work to see whats up and if I need to pay the 50% needed for classes.  The lady in the office said that everything seemed okay and that I would have to sign a contingency form on the 14th.  Well her manner and the way she said it kinda struck me funny.  She wasn't rude or anything but something about her told me she was either new or just not confident with what she was doing.  I get home after getting the kids and all of us going out for tacos and there's a message on the machine telling me to call the financial aid office.  I call them this morning and it turns out I needed to sign that form sooner then that.  So I drive up to the college and the main campus faxes over the form I need to sign and the campus I will be going to faxes it back so everything should be good for now.  

    On another college-related note I found a site that rents textbooks and plants a tree for every book you borrow/rent from them.  It's http://www.chegg.com and I recommend them.  I got three of the books I needed from them for 149.xx (including tax and s&h) and 3 trees were planted in my honor.  So I saved around 70-100 dollars (depending if I was to buy the books used or new) and when the semester is over I just mail the books back, no worrying if the bookstore will buy them back or if I'm stuck with these expensive books that I'll most likely never open again.

A bit on the silly side today...I accidentally wore two watches today and didn't realize it until 2-3 hours later.  I put them on sometime between 7am-8am.  I guess I saw one and put it one, then saw the other one and thought I guess I should put my watch one(they weren't in the same place/room), if I thought at all.  I didn't realize this until around 10am when I was at wal-mart and thought to look at my watch to see what time it was.  Funny thing is I still haven't taken one off, I guess since I've wore them this long...

I had a creative streak today as well and finished the picture frame I did for my aunt's secret santa gift.  Yeah, I'm a bit of a procrastinator....but hey, at least it's done before next Christmas, right.

Here's a pic of it:

It's got a little bit of color in it.  Very little, the colored pencils I used weren't my watercolor pencils (kids thought those made good regular colored pencils and took them) so it shows up super light.  That's okay this way the wood grain and the wood burn show up and the picture is the main thing not the frame. You don't want the picture frame to out shine the picture it's framing right?  I think it looks nice anyway...it's much nicer in person for some reason woodburned/pyrography art never looks the same in photos as they do when you see it first hand.  I guess that goes for all artwork though.  I love going to art museums and seeing landscapes but seeing that same pic online doesn't give me the same feeling.  Gotta see the brush strokes (or burn marks) I guess to get the same vibes from it.

    

A College Student...again

I got my classes picked out and hopefully registered.  I have to bring in proof that I've had a mmr shot and that'll all be done for sure.  I think it's silly to require adults to bring in immunization records....I'm actually surprised I still have mine...it's only 30 years old now.  

Anyway I'm taking a full load I have Intermediate Algebra, History 2, English Composition 2,and  Microbiology.  Hopefully I can make it through all right. Well I probably won't post anything till sometime after Thursday so I hope everyone has a good week and eats lots of good food.

I Feel Better...

...after meeting with the admissions counselor at Baptist College of Health Sciences.  The required gpa to get in was 2.5, mine was like 2.38, now don't that just suck.  I missed it by .2.   Good new is all I got to do is continue with my plan to go to Dyersburg State this spring and take College Algebra, Eng. Comp 2 (which I thought I already took and passed that one, but oh well) and Nutrition.  I have to pass Algebra with a B, and the other two with A's and that'll bring my gpa up to a 2.6 and then I take the HOBET and can start BCHS next fall.  I plan on taking a full load this spring so that'll add about one more class (if these three are worth 3 credits each that's 9 so I can take another 3-4 credit class and have a full load without, hopefully, stretching myself too thin).

That's the plan anyway.