Post Holiday Madness

The storm called Christmas is now over - the grandparents are on their way home to Florida and I am left with a house full of papers, boxes, new toys and new pets.

We were thrilled to have Nana and Grampa here to visit for a week, as well as Uncle Dave and his new wife and their children visit twice. The entire clan went out for dinner one night and had a great time breaking bread together (we don't do it often enough we've decided). Christmas eve found us at church together for a beautiful carol and candle service. Nana and Grampa stayed home so it was just the kids and I. I've always liked the Christmas Eve service; somehow you can feel the Spirit floating throughout the sanctuary. Very peaceful...very nice.

Christmas morning the kids woke up to a tree overloaded with gifts both large and small. It took the better part of two hours to open all the lovely gifts that Santa left, as well as the gifts from Mom and Dad, the kids' gifts to each other and my gifts to everyone. It was lovely. The living room looked like Macy's at 10pm on the day after thanksgiving but we cleaned up quickly!

Dinner was interesting - I made a huge 20lb turkey with everything. Funny how it takes so long to cook yet is eaten in 30 minutes or less! Anyhow, I made four pies for dinner; a blueberry (for dad and my FIRST ever!), a pumpkin, a chocolate pudding pie and a rather decadent egg nog pie (which we will repeat but with not so much rum next time!!!) I collapsed for a few minutes after lunch and then started on the mountain of dishes!

The day after Christmas found me back at work and all the kids home with their grandparents. I got home at 1pm to find Uncle Dave and his family here for a visit! They had been invited to join us for a post holiday dinner so back in the kitchen I went to make a ham dinner for 12. No biggie!! Another two or three hours of cooking eaten in 30 minutes! I'm glad it's over though! I'm tired of cooking and have announced that I will be taking two days off from cooking so get ready - it's leftover city until Saturday!!!

So now the new year is upon us once again. For my family and friends, those near and far, I wish only good things. May blessing rain down on each and every one of you!

Christmas Picture

These are my beautiful 'babies' standing still for 30 seconds! Everyone was home, decently dressed and ready to smile for their dear old mother. Can't believe I have such big kids. They're 16, 15, and 10 already. The time has flown for sure! They're great to hang out with and are the nicest kids I know (nah, I'm not too biased am I?!)

Christmas is Upon Us

It's the middle of December and yesterday was my son Brian's 15th birthday. He came into this world quite suddenly at 9:45 pm on December 20, 1991, nine weeks premature. It's hard to believe that this strapping young man struggled for the first few days of his life. He's over 6' tall, over 200 pounds and handsome as all get out :) I think he looks like a young Marlon Brando, don't you???

Post Holiday Madness

It wouldn't be the Day after Thanksgiving if I didn't embark on the "day after" shopping experience with The Girls! We figure out at lunch that we have been making this pilgrimage for six years as a group. Without one, the trio doesn't have as much fun. With the quartet, watch out!!!!

I was the designated driver this year (we rotate each year) so I had the pleasure of getting up at the ungodly hour of 3:15 am to begin picking up at 4:00. Picked up Wanda at 3:45 am, Heather at 4am and Carrie last at 4:15 - we were at the local Wally World by 4:30 am, along with about sixty other nuts! At precisely 5am, we were let in and I'm happy to say that it was a rather mellow morning. No running, biting, pinching, screaming...actually, lots of laughter and "we must be C-R-A-Z-Y for doing this!"

We spent a better part of the day shopping, laughing so hard that we made Wanda snort Coke up her nose!!! I think Carrie needed a bathroom break every hour (or so it seemed). Poor Heather; she had an upset stomach at first but we shoved a hot tea down her throat and she was FINE!!! I ended up with a bear of a headache at about 4pm so I downed four tylenol and kept moving!

We drove 90 miles; spent the better part of 15 hours together and we are already making our plans to do it again next year! It's our one day out as girls; not as moms, but as girls on a mission! Crazy? You betcha! FUN? ALWAYS!! Can't wait until next year!! only 364 days left until next year :)

Holiday Memories

As we get ready for yet another feast of Thanksgiving, I remember the happenings of the past year. It's been a year of many changes, some positive, some negative.

My divorce is done as of October and I am now a single mother raising three kids alone. It's been an emotional roller coaster for the last month as I struggle to balance kids, work and school. I have been plagued with doubts but thank God I have a good therapist and someone to pat me on the back when I need it.

I have discovered quite a bit about myself and what I'm all about. There are several parts of me that I've been pulling apart and closely examining. The biggest thing I've discovered is that while I have three kids that are with me basically 24/7, I do miss the companionship of a guy. I don't need a guy to complete me; just nice to have someone to hang with, go out for a meal, see a movie. It's fun to do all these things with the kids too; sometimes it's just nice to be a girl for a while and not Mom. I'm getting used to being alone even though I don't like it.

I spent most of today running hither and yon picking up kids, dropping off kids, chasing dogs..lol I managed to make eight loaves of zucchini bread as well as a chocolate pudding pie (that MAY last until Thanksgiving but I seriously doubt it will!). Tomorrow I'm making cookies and a pumpkin pie (that WILL last until Thursday because it's not the kids' favorite pie). Dudley has requested several of the zucchini loaves (in fact, he just stopped by to pick up three of them!) I consider it payback for rescuing this damsel in distress Friday night. I went out to the movies by myself (the kids were with their father for the night) rather than stay home alone and stare at the dog. I even bought myself dinner!

Coming home from the movies, the car sputtered and died on the side of a rather dark, lonely backroad here in town. After waiting for about an hour, I broke down and called Dudley to come rescue my backside. He came and towed me back to my house. An 18-minute trip home from the movies took TWO HOURS!!

So anyhow, the holidays are upon us again and it will be our first as a new family. The kids and I will be spending half with my friend Wanda and her family and half will be with their dad. Christmas should be interesting - my parents are coming from Florida and my brother and his family will join us for dinner. AYE! More people than this little house can hold but we'll squish in.

So to all who may read this, I offer this Thanksgiving blessing to you and yours: may there be room at the table for all, food for each belly, and love to blanket your homes.

Updates

I just got my grades from last week - holy cow! I got a 92 on my pharmacology test, a 98 on my Phlebotomy exam and a 90 on my procedures test. Boy is it too much to ask that I got a good grade on the dreaded A&P? I won't know that one until next week.

The settlement check arrived and now I'm paying bills like a woman possessed! Hopefully we'll stay on budget and not mess this whole thing up! LOL I can dream can't I?!

Baby's First Halloween

Here she is! Ms Piglet in her first Halloween costume. Isn't she just the sweetest little thing?!

Updates

It's been close to two weeks since I wrote - it's been a very busy time here, what with moving, the divorce, school, the kids' schedules. Life has bordered on hectic but it's been a different kind of hectic. The drama has lessened considerably since we've moved. I have actually taken the night off from my Medical Office Procedures Class to do the trick or treat thing with my daughter, my girlfriends and their kids. We had a ball - four kids with six adults trailing along! Too funny!

I've been studying hard too. My pharmacology mid year was a 92! I was shocked to say the least! The only down side is that I OD'd an 11 month old baby on paper with Dilantin. Oh ya I used the wrong formula all right! Poor kid should have gotten a dose of 7.8 mg, not 47.8!! OMG I had to explain myself in class this morning! Glad it was on paper though and not reality!

Tomorrow is Phlebotomy and I've studied as much of that as I can. Thursday is the dreaded A&P Exam II, which I have studied but will NOT stay in my head! In fact, I'm going to search out the on line tutor momentarily to see if there's some way to make sure all this stuff stays in my head! One would think I would have it memorized since this is my second time through the class!

Nursing school applications are being accepted starting tomorrow! Yes, I have mine filled out and ready to rock! I just hope I get one of the 100 spots (actually there are 60 night slots and 40 day slots). I think I'm in the position to take whatever spot I get! I also have no clue what I will do if I don't get in this time. I know last semester there were people that had A's and didn't get in! No one in API got in last year at all and there were 16 of us applying. NOT ONE got accepted. Maybe the selection committee will take pity on my old age and let me in. I'll be a good nurse, I'm sure of it most days. I know I'm capable of working hard enough; I worry I won't be smart enough to handle nursing school. Keep the fingers crossed and keep the prayers flowing.

Closing an Old Book ... Opening a New One

Today my divorce was granted. It's a mixed day; I've wavered from being very happy that the whole process is finally over to crying over 22 years done in the bang of a gavel. Yes, I started this process and I'm glad it's over but it's still sad that no matter what I tried to do to fix things, this was something I just couldn't fix.

I'm happiest that I have custody of all three children - I'm glad they all decided in the end to move in with me. This house, while little, is working out quite well. The kids have adjusted their schedules ever so slightly. My daughter is in an after school program so she's busy two days per week at school; my sons did not have to change their bus routes so they're happy. The dog is even thrilled with his new back yard where he can run loose and bark his little fool head off. This is what I've wanted for the last I don't know how many years - why does it seem so damned lonesome? It's not for lack of company - because there are certainly enough people in this house at any given time for me to chat with...I guess it's because for all these years, in bad and good, there was someone there just for me - even though he wasn't there for me much these past eight years or so. He's locked in his own world right now and that's fine with me. There wasn't room in it for me anyhow.

So tonight I open a new book - my life as a single mother. Strange to see it written out. I've also received my first piece of mail addressed as "Ms" and not "Mrs." It looks funny but I'll get used to it.

A New Chapter

Today I'm starting a new chapter in the world of Twinkielight. I am finally moving into my own house! All week, I have slowly been moving things to my new home across town with a tremendous amount of help from my daughter. Together we have moved a lot of our accumulate things into this house. Today we are scheduled to move two dressers and three beds, plus our clothes. The goal is to sleep in the new house tonight. Let's see if we'll get there!

She and I both have the day off from work/school so we have no time limits. Right now she's watching tv and I'm taking a blog-break. I have a court date in five days to finalize the divorce and it's a good thing to be moving. The tension here is too thick for me to deal with on top of work and school. I had to get out so I took a gigantic leap of faith and signed a one year lease on a small, three bedroom home with a large fence in yard across town. The kids don't have to change schools and I live about a breath away from my job. It's going to be a good thing. The best part is that all three of my children are coming with me! I was nervous because my middle son was going to stay with his dad but in the end he's decided to come with me. I'm happy that he's made the decision on his own; I couldn't make it for him because he's old enough to make that kind of decision on his own. I'm just glad he's coming! It wouldn't have felt right without him...kind of like having an arm cut off and feeling the phantom pains. Just wouldn't be right.

I DID IT! I REALLY DID IT!!

Tonight - in my Phlebotomy class, I did my first "live arm" draw and got a nice sample from my 'patient' Sue. I got discouraged because I didn't get anything from "Fred" the fake arm after seven or eight attempts. It's very unnerving to not get a sample after so many tries but my instructor said to keep trying - it'll happen. TONIGHT?! IT DID!!! I was SOOO excited afterwards that I couldn't help but GRIN like a bloody (no pun intended) fool. The girl that drew me, unfortunately, was not so lucky. I have what is termed "angel hair pasta" veins. She tried but didn't get a sample. We have to poke a different person each week.

I also got last week's quiz back - 88.9%! I'm smoking so far this semester! I just hope I can keep it up! I finished a placement test today to place out of Keyboarding I (and typing 85 WPM I don't think I need keyboarding TYVM!) Of course, I can't place out of Word I so I'm going to take that in January (along with Microbiology - ugh).

Schoolwise, things are very very good! We just won't discuss the other side of the coin - I'm in too good a mood!!!

A&P Makes a Little Sense

I just got my test grade for my first A&P quiz and I'm proud to say I got a 94! Now, it wasn't that hard in my eyes but maybe it's because I understand it better the second time around :)

The graded have generally been good so far - I've just started one course this week so we'll see (Medical Office Procedures) which looks like a gasser of a class. I'm given a practice, complete wiht 24 patients. I have to create a filing system and I have $5,000 to outfit my front office (not including medical equipment). My first project is to create a patient information brochure (which I have done already!) The next step is to create individual files for my patients, get my order ready for the office supply store and start seeing patients. Sounds cool eh? Pharmacology is going well - my average there is 90 already. So out of my four classes, three are going very well. I'm having trouble in Phlebotomy - it took me five tries to get a sample out of the fake arm. We go to live arms Wednesday and I am NOT ready - at all!! We have to let someone in the class draw our blood. I feel bad for whoever gets to draw me because I have horrible little angel hair veins that move and shift.

I went to see my NH family this weekend - inside joke - and I'm amazed at how big the kids are getting! The youngest (my boyfriend!) is walking quite nicely on his own. He walked out to meet me (with help from one of his sisters). We had cake on both Friday and Saturday nights to celebrate Rachel's birthday (which was the 18th). They are all taking her to the circus on October 20th for her birthday. She is very excited about that let me tell you! (I get to go too!)

On a sad note, I lost my job at the radio station on Friday. Yes I know I felt it coming but it still hurt to get 'let go'. Oh well! Better times are coming for me I'm sure!!

And Away We Go!

Here it is, the end of a full week of school. I've had two quizzes (one in Pharmacology 95 yay me!) and one in A&P (boo hissss). The homework is not all that bad at the moment but I'm doing my best to stay on top of it all.

It's just before 11pm on a quiet Thursday. It's gently raining outside and the sound is very soothing. The drive home tonight took just about 45 minutes (for a 35 mile ride). I think I'm going to like the ride for the most part (check back when it starts snowing and we'll see!) The ride gives me time to unwind, settle down from A&P and just plain relax a bit. I came home to a quiet house tonight - everyone was in bed (one was not asleep but it's ok; he was waiting for me to get home safely). I'm heading to bed myself in a few minutes. I need a drink and a tylenol as the dissection tonight was a little heady. I forgot what everything smells like and I've got a bit of a headache. Tomorrow is my night off and boy I can't wait! Even housework will be better than running off to a class! Yes, I said that out loud!! LOL!

End of the First Week

TGIF!! Never have four words been more heartfelt!! I am SOO glad today is Friday! With three straight late class nights, I'm glad to have tonight off! Last night was the dreaded Anatomy & Physiology. The class itself wasn't bad; the 45-minute drive home was exhausting. I pulled in shortly before 11 pm to half a household still awake much to my dismay. It didn't take long to get everyone bedded down, including myself. I thought about tossing in laundry but didn't have the heart to walk down two flights of stairs...I'm doing it now since it's early and I'm semi-awake.

I got my new laptop yesterday and used it last night to take notes in class. I made it through the entire lecture before the battery died. Not a problem - there weren't too many lab notes to take last night and I'd brought a notebook and pen. It's a nice laptop - lots of little things to figure out when I have some time to do so!

There's only one class I haven't attended yet - Medical Secretarial Procedures - she's at a conference for the next week or so. That class starts on the 19th. Stay tuned!

Back To School - Grown Up Style

Tonight was my first of four classes for this semester - Phlebotomy. I never realized just how much one person can do in a lab setting! We managed to get through two chapters (no lab tonight). There's a quiz just about every week which I think will be just fine since I have three other classes that need my attention (including Pharmacology tomorrow morning and the dreaded A&P I a-g-a-i-n tomorrow night from 5-10).

I'll try to keep up on my blog and keep you posted on my progress through the semester. I'm hoping that I can keep my sanity long enough to finish this 15-week session. There's so much going on right now it's hard to stay loose and not let it all bog me down. I'm grateful I have sounding boards (even if I have to pay one of them to listen to me whine! Can I get some cheese to go with my fine whine?!)

Labor Day

I concluded a quiet summer with an equally quiet weekend up North. Well...almost quiet! Friday night I arrived to three semi-hyped little girls all clamoring for a hug from "Aunty Sharon" as I have lately been called (I love it!). We arrived just in time for dessert - if I told you we all had brain, would you believe me???? When all was settled, it was bedtime for everyone.

Saturday started with RIBS! MMMMMMMM Phil and Cedar had them prepared and ready to pop on the grill outside. They cooked all day (imagine if you will what heaven must smell like!) I went canoeing and came back with two bags of elderberries - a jelly hint? Maybe! I sat with Cedar and Sandy pulling berries off the stems. We all had purple tinged hands after half an hour but the color washed out easily enough. I stuck a little piece of reed in some of the juice and boy what a shade of purple it came out! I am eager to dye some reed to see what it looks like in a basket.

I can't say enough about Saturday dinner - I'd end up hungry and I'm going for a complete blood profile in the morning so I'm NPO from now until 10 am tomorrow!!! Let's just say it was H-E-A-V-E-N-L-Y! Ribs so tender - the meat fell off the bone. I bow to the RIB KING PHIL. Cedar made the lovliest loaf of elderberry bread that was a beautiful shade of purple from the berries, along with a nice salad.

Sunday morning I made pancakes for everyone using boring blueberries...lol..they're boring next to those lovely elderberries. I went back out on the Pemi to dig up some elderberry bushes so that Cedar could start a patch of her own. Sunday night I stayed up to watch Carlos Mencia - I have never laughed so hard in my life!

Monday (Labor Day) was very quiet. I went out to the garden and met this little guy near the corn and potatoes... NOT one of my favorite things to almost walk into let me tell you!
I just about died when I camethisclose to walking into the web he was hanging from! Anyone who knows me knows that there is only one thing that makes me scream like a girl (you're lookin' at it!)

I left about 7 Monday night and didn't hit a stitch of traffic the entire way home. I guess everyone went home early or stayed home because of the threat of rain.

End of "the first week"-Kid Version

The reports are in - school is WONDERFUL!! Two of my three children are in new school situations this year. My middle son is starting high school (YES I SAID HIGH SCHOOL - HOLY COW AM I THAT OLD?!) and he loves it! As we've been telling him, he's tickled purple and gold (school colors). He got lost yesterday and made it to art 10 minutes late. Someone gave him the wrong directions so he took a 20 minute tour of the school and then realized he could get there going a different way (that took a minute!) He was....irritated....but he'll figure out the shortcuts soon.

My daughter - she's heading into the fourth grade already! It just doesn't seem possible that she's gotten so big so fast! It seems like just the other day she was born and now she's a big girl. It just proves that time is moving along whether we like it or not. The cool thing is my bus route takes me by her school at her recess time so we get to say howdy to each other (even if it's just a wave to each other). She enjoys her teacher and has six classmates from last year in her new class.

My oldest? He's a junior and doesn't care..lol... He's actually counting down to graduation already! This time next year - he'll be a senior and ready to fly out of the nest. THIS makes me feel really old! 18 years - gone in a blink. Doesn't seem possible that this man/child - my first, the one I had no clue what to do with when I first brought him home - is about ready to take on the challenges of the world alone in just a few short years. Time has gone way too fast but the upcoming journey has mysteries of its own.

I start classes 9/6 and I too find myself excited about the idea of learning more new stuff. I have a full load this year - Phlebotomy, Pharmacology, Medical Secretarial Procedures and Anatomy & Physiology (yes, A-G-A-I-N) Everyone say booo hisssssss. This time I'll do much better - I know I will!

Back To School

I saw this poem on an internet radio site earlier this week and I'd like to share it here. Please don't get teary eyed like I did the first time I heard it! If you do, here's a tissue to get you through! Thanks to those at KLOVE for publishing it - it is called

Treat Her Well

Dear World,
I bequeath to you today one little girl in a crisp dress , two twinkling eyes and a happy laugh that ripples all day long and a flash of shiny hair that bounces in the sun when she runs. I trust you’ll treat her well. She’s slipping out of the back yard of my heart this morning and skipping off down the street to her first day of school and never again will she be completely mine. Frail and proud she’ll wave her young and independent hand this morning and say “Good Bye” and walk with little lady steps to the school house. Now she’ll learn to stand in lines and wait by the alphabet for her name to be called. She’ll learn to tune her ears for the sounds of school bells and deadlines and she’ll learn to giggle and gossip and look to the ceiling in a disinterested way when the little boy across the isle sticks out his tongue at her. And now she’ll learn to be jealous and now she’ll learn how it feels to be hurt inside now she’ll learn how not to cry. No longer will she have time to sit on the front porch steps on a summer day and watch an ant scurry across the crack in the side walk. Nor will she have time to pop out of the bed with the dawn and kiss the lilac blooms in the morning dew. No, now she’ll worry about those important things. Things like grades, and which dress to wear and whose best friend is whose. The books and learning will replace the blocks and dolls. Now she’ll find new heroes. For 5 full years now, I’ve been her sage and Santa clause and pal and playmate and father and friend. Now she’ll learn to share her worship with her teachers which is only right but no longer will I be the smartest greatest man in the whole world. Today when that school bell rings for the first time she’ll learn what it means to be a member of a group with all of its privileges and disadvantages too. She’ll learn in time that proper young ladies do not laugh out loud or kiss dogs or keep frogs in pickle jars in bedrooms or even watch ants scurry across cracks in sidewalks in the summer. Today she’ll learn for the first time that all who smile at her are not her friends and I’ll stand at the front porch and watch her start out on that long lonely journey to becoming a woman. So world I bequeath to you today one little girl in a crisp dress with two twinkling eyes and a flash of hair that bounces in the sunlight when she runs. I trust you’ll treat her well.

Just about sums up back to school doesn't it?

New Babies

This is the newest member of my family - my brother and sister inlaw's new daughter. Isn't she B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L??? Without a doubt, the most beautiful baby I've seen in 5 years (well, since the birth of my other niece...:D I'm a happy aunt (for the third time!) After a few minor complications everyone is home and resting comfortably.

Busy busy busy

I looked at the calendar today and realized that in just a few short days, August will be over, the kids will be in school (as will I) and fall will be upon us before we're really ready. It's made me wonder whether I'm making the most of my time on this ride called life.

I'm in the middle of a divorce and things have not moved along in a nice manner. The court date came and nothing (to me) was resolved. I'm still in the situation I'm in, nothing has changed there. The one constant is the stress and strain of living with someone you know no longer respects you or cares what happens to you. I have three beautiful children out of this union and not much else. I've got a home I'm fighting to keep however I have recently decided to not fight for it. It's not worth the time, nor the energy. I'd rather take what I am entitled to and leave. There are other places with four walls and a roof - wherever that may be, I will let the Lord decide. I just know that here is not the place of peace and quiet it used to be. I am tense here, snippish, anxious; not the "me" I want to be.

The car died Sunday/Monday so I'm in the market for a new one. The cost to fix it is more than the value of it so my mechanic/friend said it was time to find something else. I've had this van just over two years; I wasn't all that sure about buying it in the first place but felt almost shoved into the deal. This time, I'll make the final decision not someone else.

The one bright spot is that school starts in two weeks! I can't wait to learn new things. My first class is Phlebotomy which should be very interesting. Tuesday/Thursday morning is Pharmacology, Tuesday Night is Intro to Medical Secretarial Procedures and Thursday night is round TWO of Anatomy & Physiology I. Yes I know - been there, done that. Just didn't get high enough grades. I'm certain that I will do much better this time. Keep your fingers crossed!

Lawyers and Such

Well, I got a call late Sunday night asking if I could make a 4:15 appointment on Monday to have a meet and greet with my soon to be ex husband and his lawyer. Can I say that I feel like I haven't even gotten a kiss? It will cost me to have him move out - can we all say $39,000?! That's how much his equity is in the house now that I want to keep. Sooo, it looks like I'm getting another mortgage for about $140K which will pay off my current mortgage, give HIM money he wants as well as let me keep the house I've been taking care of for the past 14 years.

I'm upset - I can't manage a $140K mortgage. The mortgage company insists I can but we'll see. I have the kids - that's all that really matters to me. I need a hug right now and it hasn't been the nicest of weeks so far. My head is swimming with all that I need to do right now and the court date is two days away. I'm hoping to get all the mortgage stuff cleared up and have this whole nightmare be thankfully behind me very soon.

I'm Not Getting Comfortable

Well it's been a very interesting two weeks at my new job at the radio station. On my first day, the station manager quit...a new GM was hired (an ad exec at the station!)...HE promptly let go the afternoon DJ, then the senior program director, which led to one of the other ad exec's turning in HIS keys. The employee list had been changed three times in ONE day! When I went in yesterday, I was asked if I wanted to leave for a while during all this nuttiness and come back that my job would be there. It's kinda like "we'll let you go but bring you back when it calms down". Hey, I've been in places like this before; not a problem - I'll just stay under the radar, do my work, and shut my mouth! I need this job more than before so I can do all these things :)

As for the court date, six days left. I've got a dull pain in my head (I know it's stress) but I'm keeping cool (or at least trying to!) School is starting in three weeks and I'm waiting for a book to finish one of my classes that is hanging on (the math, of course!). I've ordered the notes and am waiting for them to come in the USPS some time this week. I'm hoping to read them and make sense of my last remaining book, take the two tests, the final and be done done done with it (in the next three weeks of course!) I can take the two tests in one day and the final on another (no sweat). I just need to be done with this class before school starts. My nursing school application is ready to roll - I've been updating it with my grades as they have posted - so I'll be ready when applications are ready to be accepted in October/November (I think).

Teaching a Young Dog a New Trick

My boyfriend was thirsty so I took a drink out of the hose and kissed him...He figured he'd cut out the middleman and get his own drink! He's a year old and I do believe this is his first hose-drink. Not to worry - I didn't let him drink too much from the hose and it had been running freely for almost 20 minutes (the pool was being filled at the time).

My beautiful friend!

This is my beautiful friend Cedar-licious. She cut off approximately 21" of her hair Friday and this is the result. SHE LOOKS WONDERFUL doesn't she??? I spent the afternoon with her this past Sunday and she just kept flipping her new hair! It looks so lovely on her - I think it frames her face so nicely...Of course I loved her beautiful long, blonde hair but this is much easier to keep, being that she's the mother of FOUR children under 7!

General Musings

I have been busy busy busy with work (both jobs now), keeping up with the kids (my oldest finally has a summer job!) and taking a day or two to visit my friends up Nawth. I did get a chance to go up this past weekend - the rose arbor is FINISHED! Of course, the last board was nailed into place and Cedar says hey, let's make it 12' longer!! *BLINK* Digging post holes is not easy there (it's not called The Granite State for nothing y'know!) I figure there is a post hole in my very near future and more 4x6's and joist hangers and nails. Good thing I enjoy that kind of work!

It's getting close to my court date and I'm getting a nervous twitch. It's not fear exactly, it's just fear of the unknown. There are so many issues at large that I don't know which one is going to put me over the edge: will I get to keep my home or will I have to sell it? Can I afford it? Will I have to move everyone (when I really don't want to!) Will my soon-to-be-ex be friendly about the whole thing or will he be vindictive? I'm hoping for friendly because that's the way I'd like to see things play out. We'll see... Thank god I have friends to express my fears to or else I'd probably be a sniveling mess by now. I know I'm making the right decision - I haven't had a moment of doubt since last August/September. It's just getting scarier now because the day is getting closer.

Hot Hot Hot

Here in the northeast it's been hotter than the hinges on Hades lately. I've found that the people I work with during the day are managing far better than I. I have gone to work dressed in my normal attire only to find that I want to strip it all off and run nekkid through the sprinklers outside (now...there are no sprinklers outside but people have offered to squirt me with bottles of water from the second floor windows if I decide to go run around sans clothes!)

It's supposed to be hotter this weekend if you can believe it! I plan to drink lots of fluids and not venture far from the bathroom.

On the job front - the new job is going amazing! I've done one day alone and managed quite nicely. I only had to call for help once (but it was a doozy - we went off the air for a few minutes - not good in radio!) I like it so far (it's only been one week but it's like falling off a bicycle... I picked up the routine in nothing flat).

New Job News

I started my new part time job today at our local radio station. I used to work in radio four years ago and I jumped back into the fishbowl of radio and swam like a guppy! This station uses a more sophisticated software system but it seems much easier than the old DARTS system we used to use way back when. I'll be doing logs, filing, answering phones, and all the stuff that needs to get done. I'm excited about the idea of being "in radio" again even if I'm not one of the elite on-air personalities. I'm happy being behind the scenes, making things run smooth.

Cavities and other Yuck

I was the lucky one to take all three kids to the dentist today. I took 1/2 and afternoon off from work to be told that overall my kids have nice teeth however they've got combined at least 9 cavities. My daughter has two, my son four, my oldest has 3. You all know how long it takes to get into the dentist so don't shoot me when I say the oldest is going in tomorrow at 10am! yes, I said TOMORROW!! I almost fainted when the receptionist asked if it was ok. OK?! OK?! Are you NUTS?! Of COURSE it's ok!!! So the oldest goes back tomorrow; the other two have appointments for August 3 and4 th. Yep that's only a couple of weeks away! I think I'm liking this dentist already! We'll see when the bill comes in.

Today is also my last free afternoon. Tomorrow afternoon I start my new job at a local radio station doing the traffic and miscellaneous office work. I'll report later in the week how it goes. I celebrated my last afternoon off by taking out the canoe with my three kids. I took the youngest and my middle son out, then came back, dumped them out, took the oldest alone, brought him back and then took the middle son out again alone. I'm wiped out!! I had to call Sandy from the middle of the lake to rag - Hey guess where I am?! LOL! In the middle of the lake! I can't say what the reply was - something like Aww you bugger!! LOL We haven't been out on the lake in a couple of weeks. It was cool to turn the kids onto something fun.

Learning New Things

This weekend, I spent watching my friend Cedar work on face painting. She is amazing! I can't believe she "claims" to not "know how" to paint! She did an awesome tiger face on her middle daughter that, if she hadn't said it was her, I would NOT have recognized her! She had a very serious expression on her face that fit right in with the tiger face. Cedar also had two gigs, one was a warm up where she absolutely ROCKED according to Phil, and a second 'not so busy' gig where she only painted nine faces in 3 hours. A little disappointing but she rocked on one of the two so it was ok :)

She has inspired me to work on my balloon twisting - I need to learn more, do more, get myself out there to the people in town who do not know me and what I do.

Canoeing I Go

Well, I finally got to take my new baby up to my friend's house. For those that haven't been following along, I bought a canoe recently. Sandy (my friend) and I took her out for a short trip around Crowley Pond and I got a quick steering lesson. We then spent a good deal of Sunday afternoon working on her - she's got some new screws, a nice wooden cover on the stern and a panel on the bow to hold in the foam pieces. Everything is nice and waterproofed with eye hooks on both ends to put rope through. I felt confident enough to take Miss Rachel out on Monday afternoon for a short spin on the lake near our house. We both had a blast just taking a short glide around the lake. I wanted to go again today but it's been thundering out off and on all day so I don't really want to take a chance. There will be plenty of days to take her out :)

Sunday I was at Phil and Cedar's to celebrate their youngest's birthday - he turned the BIG ONE! I have truly forgotten how much fun it is to celebrate a first birthday! Yo got into his cake with much abandon. Can you say Ice cream E-V-E-R-Y-W-H-E-R-E? There are pictures but I won't post without permission. All I will say is that the Big Boy got a shower with me after he was done with his ice cream cake (which didn't thrill him at all).

Big Red Riding Hood

Late last night, I figured out how to fix the chain on my new bike (it's an 18-speed Schwinn) and it is ready to roll! Since I'm 5'9 it would be silly to call myself Little Red Riding Hood! I went for a short ride today to the local store for milk. I know one thing - my butt has forgotten what it's like to ride! OUCH! The only benefit to carrying the gallon of milk home on your back? Your back stays nice and cool :)

I'm a sweaty, tired mess right now so I'm heading off to the bedroom where the AC is on and it's nice and chilly. A shower is on tap for later this afternoon - I have some more dirty work to do and it doesn't make sense to shower now and then in about an hour...just sit upwind of me!

Happy 4th of July

I had a rare day off so I decided to go alone to NH and visit my friends. I left Friday afternoon early (picking up Sandy from work on the way up). We decided to go to dinner while we were out and enjoyed a very nice seafood dinner at a restaurant where we DIDN'T have to speak into the clown's mouth to order! :)

Then onward to the house. The little girls were almost asleep when I got there, but I did manage to sneak in and pass out hugs and kisses all around. Cedar and Phil were both up and we had a chance to sit and chat like grown ups. It was a nice evening all around.

I had the opportunity to spend Saturday with the girls - they were very well behaved all afternoon. No need to speak more than once to any of them. They swam in the pool, we went to Petco to get some ICK medicine for the fishtank, then stopped for ice cream on the way home. After a very short (less than 20 minutes for everyone) lie down, I made cheeseburgers for dinner and everyone ate everything. By the time Phil and Cedar got home, everyone was asleep - even the baby! I just wore that poor little thing out. Of course, I only had about twenty minutes of grown up talk before I, too, hit the sack and fell right to sleep.

Sunday I helped with several projects - one being shoring up a trunk for Phil and Cedar to use in their library show. I helped a lot - I got to hold the screws oooh boy! LOL. Then it was on to fence staining so that the yard can be fenced in and keep the little ones safe. The final project of the day was starting a rose arbor on the side of the house. Somehow I managed to drop a 2 x 6 x 12' piece of lumber on my right foot. Hurts like the devil but Cedar is going to love this rose arbor when it's all done. All day Sunday the scent of ribs smoking wafted through the air. I was going to leave at about 3 to head home but when I called home, everyone had gone off for the night so I decided to stay for the rib-a-cue and come home Monday morning (a rare day off for me!) I dropped Sandy off at work on my way home Monday morning and then headed to my home. After 2 1/2 hours of driving I pulled into my driveway, walked into a house that was totally devoid of people (for a CHANGE) and promptly fell asleep across the bed. When I got up, I hung out a load of laundry, did the dishes, tidied the bathroom and mowed my front lawn.

Right now, it's almost 9pm and I'm seriously thinking of taking shower number 2 for the day. I'm wiped out from trying to put the chain on my bicycle and inflating the tires. I'd like to ride tomorrow but I don't think that's going to be an option - I put the chain on backwards...ya I know... yes, I DID read the directions!!!

It MUST Be Monday!

I woke up this morning to the sound of rain falling on the air conditioner. Now, normally falling rain doesn't bother me but this morning, it seems like the rain was hitting the one place on the a/c where it made the most maddening plink........plink......plink. Almost like the chinese water torture! I finally got up because it was just plinking on my nerves! I went into the bathroom, and one of my lovely cats decided to barrel his/her way into the house by pulling the screen down and tossing it out the second story window. I look out the window and there's the screen, down there in the tall prickly weeds. OOOOK...that means the bugs have been streaming into the house all night. Wonderful! MOSQUITO BUFFET'S OPEN! *chuckle* I shut the window; so much for a nice breeze. I'll go down and get the screen but I'll leave it out until I can somehow convince the cats to NOT knock it down.

My daughter is in NY on vacation - she called last night to tell me she'd caught not one, but three little fish in the pond using the green fishing rod (somehow there's some significance to the rod's color but I didn't ask!) She's having fun with her grandmother being spoiled rotten. She'll be home late Saturday night, all nice and tired but ready for camp next Monday.

Weather Musings and Such

People say women are fickle but I have seen nothing more fickle than New England weather. If you don't like it, wait a minute-it will change! This morning we woke up to rain, heavy at first, then lightening to a drizzle, then to the point where it's actually stopped and the sun has managed to peep out for a while. The All Star game was cancelled at 9:00 am this morning, so my daughter left for her vacation week. Now, if it doesn't rain tomorrow, the game will be held and she will miss it. It was an issue with her - which to do - go on vacation or wait another day to see if she'd be playing in her first ever all star game. Both were things she really wanted to do but her vacation won!

I've had the house to myself for most of the day. My sons are off doing their own things and for once, I have total tv control. Of course, there's absolutely nothing on so I'm playing cards on line. I've done the dishes, my washing is done, the bathroom primer coat is drying. The cats are out terrorizing the dog on his chain. Everyone is busy doing their own thing.

I'M BORED OUT OF MY MIND! I miss working weekends. I worked seven days for so many years; now that I only work weekdays, I miss the busy weekends. It's too quiet here for me. I've discovered something interesting - while I like being alone, I do not like it for long periods of time. I itch to go out and do something - see and talk to people. I don't know if that makes me insecure in my own skin or what - I just know I'm much more comfortable being around others than being alone.

RAIN RAIN GO AWAY

Well, it's officially pouring now! The rain is coming down hard and fast - I'm not sure if the game is still on for Saturday (tomorrow) but it is not looking all that promising. My weekend plans have just been cancelled (sorry, I'm going to pout now)... *sigh* :(

Looks like the sun dance didn't work for me this weekend. Next weekend I promised my daughter I'd be home when she got back from her trip to NY. I'm working on the 3rd and off on the 4th - crazy, I know! My next weekend off is the weekend of the 9th and I'm pretty sure the boys are busy with some concert they were just talking about at dinner. Not any music I'd like I'm sure (the only White Stripes I know about are on tigers!)

I'm off to go finish watching my movie. It's boring at the moment but I'm hoping it will perk up.

Sun Dance

I'm doing a little sun dance right now hoping that the sun stays out until tomorrow morning. My lovely daughter has been chosen to play on the All-Star Team for girl's softball and tomorrow is "THE BIG GAME". She's also leaving to go to see her grandma in NY Saturday after said game for a whole week. If it rains, the game will move to Sunday which will mean she can't leave until then for her vacation week. We're all doing the sun dance now, trying to convince it to shine shine shine! It's ok I try to tell them, if it rains now...as long as it isn't raining when we wake up tomorrow!

Buzzer's buzzing - it's time to go to work! Enjoy the day!

Buying the RIGHT Straps is IMPORTANT!

As I previously mentioned, I bought a canoe and also some straps. Unfortunately they were not the right straps. I went up this bumpy hill to get my son at his girlfriend's house and when I got there, my son wasn't there but her father said, "Hey, two of those strips are not hooked up! You're gonna lose your boat!" So he took one them off and replaced them with a nice wide rachet strap and directed me to return the straps I had purchased and get rachet straps. I went up to Wal-Mart and exchanged the straps. Have you ever tried to put on rachet straps in the DARK?! Under a street light that kept going on and off?! Frustrating as all get out! I did get two of the new straps on nice and snug. That canoe isn't going anywhere! The front and back straps are fine; it was just the three that I was using across the canoe that weren't going to work.

I'm all set now; watch out quiet water, here I come! Hopefully Saturday I"ll get a chance to put her in the water and see what happens. I hope to God it doesn't LEAK!! I will NOT be a happy paddler if she leaks...

My New Toy

Well, I bought a canoe last week. It's a 15' one, and it's lounging in the front yard waiting to be taken out on the water. I'm still learning how to paddle correctly and follow directions. I did buy a PFD the other night as well as a set of straps to lash the canoe to the top of my van. I tried to use this foam stuff in a can to make a foam float for the front of the canoe to no avail. When I went out to check it after two hours, it was a liquidy mess that stunk to high heaven. I don't know what else to use or how else to put foam in the front but I'm sure I'll figure it out somehow.

I can't wait to take it out on the water! There are several small lakes around my house that are begging to be canoed. I want to take it up north to my friend's house and let them look it over. I'm pretty proud of myself that I can almost heft it up onto the van by myself (I had my 16 year old son help me tonight). It's all part of the learning process. Anything new takes practice. I'm ready though! Here is a picture of my new toy strapped and ready to float!

Just WHAT IS IT ?!

10 Guesses what this plant is...














Give up? It's asparagus after it goes to seed! I've never EVER in my life seen it like this but isn't it COOL!? 

New Muscles

Well, it's the day after a nice long canoe trip and I have NEW MUSCLES that I didn't know existed! My arms, chest and shoulders ache not only from the paddling but from the nice sun burn I now sport. I am a delightful shade of red on one shoulder (my major paddling arm) and a nice shade of pink on my other shoulder. My canoe partner (who I must add has the patience of JOB!) suggested at one point that I put on a shirt and I replied, "I would but it's in the truck which is at YOUR house." I didn't realize that the shirt didn't even make the truck - I found it on the back of the couch. Lot of good it did me there huh?! The burn isn't too bad but I will pack a better canoe bag next time.

The trip itself was uneventful. I had lessons in turning, prying and slow paddling. Some time during the trip my canoe partner asked me to paddle a little slower. When I wondered aloud why I would paddle slow he said "Because there's a DAM up there that I'd rather NOT go over it please..." I see... all righty then! Slow ahead! Talk about paddling backwards! I'm glad my canoe parter has patience with me. On the semi-exciting side, the canoe was rocked side to side by a large motor boat that cruised up near us going way too fast, making a nice wake that shook me a little. Yesterday was not the day to swamp the canoe! Not in the middle of Lake Winnisquam! I'm looking forward to a swamping lesson next time - then I'm heading to the back of the canoe to learn steering. That's the one reason I'm not taking my new canoe out yet - I have no idea how to steer it yet. I have to buy a PFD too - one that will fit me properly and not scrape under my armpits.

At some point in August, Sam (my oldest son) is going on a 2 day trip with his boy scout troop - I'd like to be able to go along if he wants. The trip is heading down the Connecticut River; we'll see if he actually wants to take his old mother along :)

I'm finding the more canoeing I do, the more I enjoy it. I also notice I'm looking at little rivers of water wondering if they are canoe-able. There's one little stretch of river that is very quiet over by the local landfill that I'd like to try at some point - I'm looking into it.

Thoughts on Graduation

My son graduated tonight from the eighth grade. He was selected to give one of two student speeches as well as the honor of playing/singing the exit song, "Time of Your Life" by Greenday. As I sat in the front row in my favorite lawn chair, I went back to pre-school and his first "graduation" exercise. It was hard to look at him and not remember him running down the hall in a diaper, screaming because he couldn't go to school yet; it wasn't his "turn". As I sat watching this "man" speak about integrity, honesty, safety, I was never prouder than at that moment. He has truly blossomed into a fine young man.

Brian has always loved school and for the past two years, we have had slight struggles for the first time in a couple of key subjects. He has worked hard and the biggest thing I think he's learned is to ask for help when he needs it. I've tried to teach all of my children that the only stupid question is the one not asked. I myself have at times prefaced a question with, 'now this might sound stupid but...' only to be told the same thing.

I wish for him only the best of everything; I believe he is well on his way to being a leader of tomorrow. Way to go Brian! I'm so proud of you!

Housework

I looked in my living room this morning and wondered, "what the heck is living in here? I spent a good 30 minutes just picking up things that belonged to the other four people that live in this house. I actually set the timer and when it went off, was pleased to see that I do indeed have semi-gray carpet on the floor (dotted with spots and a nice red stain but it was there). During my tidy-fest, I picked up exactly one thing that lived in MY room - my little orange balloon pump. How it climbed out of my balloon bag, I will not venture to guess - I'd say it was my daughter but I can't be certain. Well, my living room is ready for living again. I have two chairs in which to sit, and a couch that is devoid of clothes, papers, books, toys etc etc. It is truly a beautiful thing :)

The dishes are done, the counters are wiped. The kitchen table needs attention but I have to get ready for work. All in all though, I am quite pleased at the moment with the condition of my two major rooms.

Creepy Crawling Things

I spent a couple of days up at the Farm this weekend and discovered one undeniable fact - I HATE TICKS!) ewww shudder..shiver... I took a very short walk down to the brook, wearing long blue jeans and my wellies and before I even got to the trailhead, I was flicking off ticks stuck to my pant legs. By the time I got back to the house, I had flicked off about 6; once inside the house, they just kept appearing on me - one crawled across my arm, one across my leg...one even up the front of my shirt! I picked one off the back of Sandy's head, one off Julie's arm, and one off Rachel's back. I'm itching now just thinking about them! I think they are worse than head lice! Just the thought of them makes the little hairs on the back of my neck stand up!

I'm sure the good Lord has a purpose for putting them on this great wide Earth, but I haven't a clue what that purpose is...I suppose they're food for something larger (but not ME!) Just because i'm a plus sized gal doesn't mean the 'all-you-can-eat-tick-buffet' is open!

The Sun is OUT!

I woke up this morning with warmth on my face. As I cracked open one eyelid I realized it was the SUN making an appearance after three days of straight rain. Before she could change her mind and disappear, I put out two loads of wet laundry. The propane was disconnected on Friday so we've been without it for three days (so I've had no dryer!). I have one load washing because I think the propane company will be out today to reconnect me. I hope I hope I hope.

My bathroom looks wonderful! It's nice and white right now, with no dirty handprints on the wall or dirt streaks. I'm looking at paint chips to see what the final color will be - maybe blue, maybe pale green - I don't know yet. I know it won't be yellow! That's just wrong... chuckle... although it would be a little appropriate, considering it's a bathroom after all!

The perfect sleep-in day

Today is Sunday and with the exception of a slight break in the clouds, it has rained most of the day. It was the perfect sleep-in day! I managed to make it to 7:11 am until the alarm went off in the other room, however I didn't actually get out of bed until 8:30! What a treat!

I got up and made pancakes on the electric griddle as we are out of propane. *Sigh* Some days it never seems to end. I'm just waiting for the oil to run out and then I will totally lose my mind. I can hook up a propane tank to the gas grill outside and make dinner (which btw, worked quite nicely until it started to rain hard, just as the steak was ready to come off the grill). My grill has a burner on the side so I was able to make beans on the outside burner and corn in the microwave.

I also started painting the bathroom finally! I scraped off the last little bits of wallpaper, washed the walls, and put on two full coats of primer. Now all I have to do is figure out what the final color will be - I'm very tempted to leave it white, but a pale blue is looking more likely. I'd like something soothing not like the green busy ivy wallpaper that was in there (I didn't pick it and I've intensely disliked it since it went up!) I also patched a rather large hole in the wall with a metallic patch/patching compound. Looks pretty darned good if I do say so myself!

All Stressed and No One to Choke

Today was a banger of a day! It started out with Brian needing a root canal. Can we say way too much money? Let's see, it was about what, $1,095 when all was said and done? Then I booked his annual roundtable where he presents the things he's been working on in school to prove he has completed the 8th grade. Brian is at a charter school so things are done a little differently than at the public schools. Anyhow, I scheduled his roundtable at the exact same time as a gig I have been hired and paid to do. Rachel's softball coach calls, the game tonight is cancelled due to rain, we're going to practice on Tuesday at 4:30.....*BLINK* oooook! I can be in three places at once! NOT! So I've tried to reschedule his roundtable for 2pm on Tuesday so I can get home for Rachel at 3:15, to which I will have time to get her to practice at 4:15 so I can make it to my gig by 4:30.

THEN! To cap off the day, I get home, start dinner to find out that oh boy, we have no propane! Guess we're not having spaghetti tonight! In fact, we can't get propane until MONDAY! Well, I can call on Monday and get on the delivery schedule - if we're lucky, we'll get filled up by Thursday! :)

If I don't laugh, I'll burst into tears.

The Untitled Post

I can't think of a title for this post as it is mainly just ramblings. Maybe by the end I will have thought up something clever.

I spent Memorial Day weekend with my friends in NH; mostly I watched their kids while they worked but I had a good time anyway! Their youngest daughter is a semi-handful lately; she's very curious and 'busy' - my oldest son was like this when he was 4. I don't care what is said about terrible twos but I think fours are worse! They're more mobile at 4, can get into waaaay more things (both good and bad), and are old enough to verbalize the 'reason' they did whatever they did. *chuckle*

Sunday I was a roadie for my friend who is a magician. I then got to actually sit and watch his show (not for the first time, but I had no kids to watch which can be distracting!) He's really quite good! Made me laugh even though I've seen the tricks, heard the corny jokes. He's got a couple of tricks that made me go 'HUH?!' and more than a few jokes that crack me right up (corny as they are!)

Sandy and I took the girls down to the brook and taught them how to use a sling shot. WOW! They're pretty good! We waded into the brook, got a little wet, and had a nice little competition to see who could shoot the furthest. I gave it my best shot but Sandy shot just that much better. Beat me by not that much though! Then we let my daughter have a turn with my slingshot and she landed a rock pretty close to where I landed my best shot! Next it was Gladdy's turn - she did really good with her sligshot, actually shooting AND skipping her rock at the same time!

On Memorial Day proper I had a chance to go canoeing. What a great time! There were several moments to make me chuckle - including hanging my feet over each side of the canoe to cool them off, not realizing it made my partner paddle all that much harder because it was like having the brakes on! *BIG LAUGH* From behind me I hear...ahem.....excuse me..but would you please pull your feet in?? OOPS, sooooorrrry!! Then, spinning around in the middle of Salmon Pond...must have looked funny from the shore as I was taught how to spin the canoe around. It must have looked like we didn't know what we were doing at ALL! I did see a turtle swim under the boat - the water wasn't all that deep and I was supposed to be watching for hazards in the water but I was more interested in the little turtle that was swimming under me to notice the big ROCK in front of me! Again, from behind me I heard...ahem.....do you see the rock in front of us?? Looking up, I reply, YA...from behind me again I hear, could we NOT hit it? LOL I don't know if I'll be asked to go again but I sure hope so! I had way too much fun! Got a little sun too; not too much but a little pink color on both legs and arms. Next time though, a black t-shirt is NOT what you wear in the middle of an open lake in a canoe in the bright late spring sun!

Is That All There Is?!

Well it's all over now. The semester is done, the books have been sold back (at a ridiculously low price I may add) and the grades are almost in. The rains have totally soaked us here in the Northeast and the college where my Spanish class is held was evacuated, resulting in the final week being moved out by a week. So I'm still hanging on waiting for my Spanish grade. It's ok - I'm not sweating that grade as much as I did the A&P. (*UPDATE* I got a B+!!) I've also heard from LPNs that I've talked to that A&P was the most difficult of the courses. I've also talked to two HR directors about work - they both tell me that if I can complete the first year of Fundamentals of Nursing I'm eligible to sit for placement exams. Well, that's all good and fine if I pass the two classes that are required for nursing school (namely microbiology and A&P1!). I'm going to submit my application anyhow and see what happens.

There is a CNA course available for the month of June that I'm looking into and I have been approached for sponsorship by a local rehab facility. In exchange for them paying for the class I have to work for them for six months 3-11. The downside of that shift is that I miss the after school activities with my kids, as well as the obvious "who will cook them dinner at night?" because by then, my divorce will be final and I'll be raising them on my own. There's a long story in itself for another time and planet. *smile*

My friend is finally home from the hospital after battling cellulitis in his leg. I'm quite fond of him and I see my friend Jean in him (except for her unending stubbornness!) I don't want to lose him too so I'm all over him to keep going with the progress he's made so far. The kids were so happy to see Papa come home they almost knocked him down as he got out of my van. They missed him sooo much! I drove up last weekend to get him out of the hospital, bring him home, and lend a hand during the weekend. I don't mind; I truly feel appreciated when I visit.

THE GRADES ARE IN!!

My grades have finally been posted! I'm so proud to say that I managed to earn a C+ in A&P! I am so thrilled that I 'passed' enough to apply to nursing school. I'm not proud that it's only a C+ but I'm happy it's not a C! C's just don't CUT IT! Along with the C+ in A&P, I earned an A- in my Health & Disability in the Elderly class and a B+ in Abnormal Psych. My spanish for medical professionals is still outstanding, but according to the professor I'm sitting at a 91.7 pre-final (which I have just submitted after working on it for close to FOUR HOURS now!)

I know I've had my share of doubts but my friends have pushed, pulled, cajoled and in general, encouraged me all along the way. Without them, I don't think I would have made it this far. Now, on to nursing school applications!! Can I get a HOOORAY?!

Aren't grades posted YET?!

I'm sitting here on pins and needles! It's been one full week since I sat in my last A&P class. I'm chewing ny fingernails waiting for the grades to be posted. I'm praying that I'm in the high 70's because as we all know, I need a 78 to be able to even apply to the nursing program at my school. The acceptance rate is low - 400 applications for 100 slots. Even those with 4.0 GPAs aren't getting accepted. I don't know why because the need for nurses is still great.

Keep your fingers crossed and as soon as I know...I'll post the results.

The Value of Friends

As I've cruised through my day today, I find my thoughts drifting to friends and what they mean to me. I think about the times friends have called to chat and I've either put them off or not answered the phone (that hasn't happened tooo often in all honesty because I love to talk on the phone!) I've also wondered if I've been as good a friend as people have been to me.

I think about this past weekend when my dear friends invited me to Spacetacular in Concord on Saturday. I was driving up on Friday with my daughter and son to spend the weekend. We've done this kind of thing before so it's nothing new. On Friday night Cedar calls to tell me that she hates to say it but she's not feeling all that snappy and "I'm calling off this weekend". I was sad that I wouldn't get to see her and all the kids. As she listed the reasons why I couldn't come, I thought, she needs a pep talk. So I proceeded to acknowledge all her reasons and ask if she was totally sure I couldn't come up anyhow and give her a needed hand. After a few minutes, she changed her mind and said sure, c'mon up! You don't care if the dishes aren't done do you? I replied, NAAAH... You know me..if it bothers me, I'll just wash them! (which I did!).

On Friday night, after I arrived and got my kids settled for bed, I sat with her and talked about anything on her mind. I also offered to take two of her four kids with me to Spacetacular (one is only 9 months old, the other was on punishment). She gave it some thought, and said SURE as long as you don't mind. MIND?! ME? Nah! I just wanted her to have some time to chillax (my version of chilling out and relaxing).

Saturday I had a ball with the four kids while she stayed home with her other two. The baby ended up at the ER with a nice earache. It never ends with kids, does it? I tried as best I could to help her out and not make it a hardship to have three extra people in the house. We cooked together, worked together to get the kids into bed, and then shared a nice bottle of beer before we both crashed for the night.

I hope she knows how much I love coming to her house. Being around her puts a joy in my heart I can't describe. I don't know if it's because she lets me help, and doesn't get all paranoid about the condition of her house. I've told her dozens of times - I don't come to visit the house; I come to visit YOU! I've also asked if she minds my help - sometimes I know I feel insulted when someone starts picking up things at my house - she says no and I'm confident she means it. My heart is in the right place - I just want to make things easier for her. I remember what it was like to be home with small children all day, and the effort it takes to keep the house tidy and no grown up conversation. She's lucky though - because there are several days her husband is home so she has other adult conversation available.

Musings on the toilet

Now before you decide I'm going to write about toileting, let me clarify, or in the words of Indigo Montoya, let me 'splain...no, let me sum up...

I came home from a long weeekend to a severely leaking toilet. Since I have a little plumbing experience, I thought I could fix it no sweat. Well...that was SUNDAY...it's now THURSDAY and I think I can finally say the silly thing is fixed! I started off by shutting the water off (no problem! just turn the little knob on the pipe at the back of the toilet right?) and flushing the toilet. Goofy me forgot that there was residual water in the tank when I disconnected the water supply. WATER EVERYWHERE and no towels handy! I am on my knees trying to catch the water in a stupid CUP with zero success! Thankfully my dear daughter brings me a large metal bowl.

Let's just fast forward through the swearing, the knuckle busting, the THREE trips to the hardware store for parts. I replaced just about every piece possible...hooked everything up...turned on the water supply and hooray everything worked...until I looked DOWN under the toilet in time to see a nice drip start. Something was STILL leaking from somewhere! GRRRRR! Take everything apart once again (although now I know to have towels and buckets handy for excess water!) and look to see that the one part I DIDN'T replace (the gasket) was indeed cracked in not one but TWO places! OK...back to the hardware store. I'm on a first name basis by now with the plumbing guy...gimme a stinkin gasket for this GD toilet! Of course it's not exactly the same but it will fit. Back home we go...put the gasket in...put it all back together...turn on the water supply...stare for leaks...hmmm no leaks....ten minutes..twenty minutes...no leaks! Could it be possible?! Is it FIXED?! OF COURSE NOT! Now the water supply hose starts dripping...I give up...tomorrow (Friday) I will buy a short water supply hose, replace it, and if the toilet still leaks, I'm going to have a nut! Actually, I will have to call my friendly plumber friend AJ for a professional consult.

I also noticed that the flush level looks kind of crappy so I thought I'd replace that too - guess what? Bought the wrong kind (anyone want a front mount flush level?!) So now it's BACK to the hardware store to buy another flush level (along with the short water supply hose). What else can break down? I'm afraid to ask, so I won't!

Highlights (and lowlights) of College Life

I can't remember when I ever had more difficulty in school than the kinds of stuff I'm up against now. This A&P class is most definately going to make me stronger (if it doesn't kill me first!) We had our lab practical (final) Tuesday night and I breezed through the first 50 questions in the lecture hall without looking up! I think my best run was 18 in a row that I know are correct! No doubts on any of them! Well, then it was on to the 50 stations in the lab. OK so we come to a gliding halt - not screeching, mind you, just a quiet glide to a halt. I suddenly couldn't remember my carotid from my jugular! I took a great big deep breath, closed my eyes, thought back to the first time I had my quiz (three weeks ago or so), started running my index finger up along my arm, reciting the veins that my friends spent the better part of a day going over with me, opened my eyes and pictured the names. I think I did pretty well - we'll see hopefully next week. I still don't know how I did on last week's test - they hadn't been graded as of last night.

On a more positive note, I have an A in abnormal psych! I just got my last assessment today! That makes me very happy indeed! One class done - only four more to go. The math class is getting extended I hope - I need some serious help with quadratic equations and plotting. It's murder! My Health & Disability in the Elderly class is sitting at a nice solid B, although I haven't got clue #1 as to what my third project is yet and it's due on 5/4. I don't know how well spanish is going - I'm a little behind because I've been focusing on my A&P almost exclusively for the past two weeks.

As my semester winds down, I am grateful to my family and friends for all their support over the past twelve weeks (wow! it's only been THAT LONG?!) I don't think I could have managed without the rah rah sessions and the personal cheerleaders who've been pushing me along the road to nursing school. The ride hasn't really started yet but at least I have a great support system in place for when it finally does!!!!

Working Through Discouraging Times

Well, here I sit at 10:40 pm, after a dismal A&P class. We got the results from last week's exam back and I scored a whopping 61 (and that was with the 3 point curve!) I am at a very low point now because I'm starting to rethink my career choice. If I can't make it through A&P now, then what makes me think I can make it through the rigors of nursing school? For that matter, if "A" students aren't making it into the program, then what makes me think that a "C+" has a chance? I'm looking at what classes to choose for the fall but I'm sure that A&P I is in there somewhere! I really don't want to take it AGAIN but I'm sure I will have to - it conflicts with another class I really REALLY want to take so I might just pass on A&P I for now (even though it would be smart to take it again while it's all semi-fresh in my mind!) Someone in class tonight said they were on their fourth try at A&P! I don't know if I'd want to take the same class four times but I suppose if I want this bad enought, then I will take it as many times as it takes.

Random thoughts for a beautiful day

I'm just getting back to my blog after a little more than a week away. I see that I got a comment from my previous post about not having time for pleasure reading. Yes, I do think my brain is expanding from all the knowledge I'm stuffin in! I think my hat size has indeed gone UP!

It's looking to be a beautiful day today - the sky is blue, no real clouds and it's already past 30 degrees. The high today claims 40's but I'll believe it when I feel it! I raked some of the lawn yesterday and have plans to rake more today after work. I think I'll be done with the entire lawn by Friday :) It's a big lawn...

School is going well - last night was interesting. It was A&P night. We started the lymphatic system and did some dissection. I was assigned a lovely little frog that had been double pithed (which is something I do NOT like doing) so we could observe his circulatory system and watch his heart pump and muscles contract. It was a little freaky because he wasn't in any pain but was essentially dead. With the application of epinepherine and acetylcholine we were able to see how his heart rate changed with each chemical. We then removed the heart and observed that it continued to beat, without being in the body, proving that the heart is an electrical object and sets its own beat and rhythm without being a part of a whole body. It was gross but kind of neat at the same time.

After frogs, it was goldfish harassment time! We took little goldfish, wrapped them in wet paper towels and examined their tails under low power to check out their circulatory system. It was totally cool! A little difficult too since the fish were definately a little irritated at being out of the water and kept flopping around if you didn't hold onto them with one hand! Kind of like looking at a moving target - I'd get the tail all in focus and suddenly "Flipper" would flop off the microscope table...My fish almost ended up flipping into my lap! It was funny watching us all trying to manage our floppy fish and do the experiments at the same time.

We also had our second exam - all I can say is ... HOLY MACARONI! It was nine pages of mechanisms of extrinsic blood clotting, menarche and cardiac contraction. Were those the mechanisms I studied well? Of COURSE not! Everyone was muttering about how difficult the exam was so we shall see next week how we all did. Should be very telling...

Classes are finished as of the first week in May and I've decided not to take classes over the summer. I'm going to work on A&P I by myself as I have to retake it in the fall. I got a C- last year but that is not good enough for nursing school entrance. Also, I'm planning to take a CNA course in June and I need all my nights open for that. Hopefully, I'll be able to get a second job as a CNA when I finish the course. Even though I've been a PCA for six years, it doesn't mean diddly if you aren't certified.

Took my first canoe trip in almost 20 years on Sunday - what a TRIP! HAHA! I was nervous but my canoe mate was very reassuring that I would not drown in the 3-4' of water! I wasn't worried about drowning - it was cold water that made me nervous!! I did enjoy it though and I can't wait to take another trip... although I'd like it to be a little warmer next time.

I learned how to make enchiladas and guacamole Saturday and discovered I actually LIKE guacamole! I guess I've tried it in the past but it just hasn't been GOOD. This was delicious! Of course I was at my friend Cedar's house...she shares all her recipes with me and then I come home and try them on my family. We made a soup on Sunday (I'll probably butcher the name) called Tom Kao Guy. It's basically chicken in coconut milk, with a myriad of vegetables thrown in. The tip is to pick out what you don't like :) There was ginger root, garlic, peppers, mushrooms (I think) and cilantro. Cedar was in charge of adding in the spicings and veggies. I was on chicken patrol with Sandy (we had the daunting task of boning the chicken and cutting it into chunks). It's a little scary to see how well Sandy boned that chicken!! It was pretty good soup though (and I'm not a fan of coconut either!)

Time for more homework. This morning it's Health and Disability in the Elderly. Interesting class - it's been very helpful in my daily job.

Happy Spring!

As of 1:20 est today, it's officially spring! Would someone please get a message to Mother Nature since it is 29.1 right now and that, to me, is NOT a spring temperature! The sky is blue and slightly cloudy and with the breeze, it feels colder! I wore my winter coat this morning (even though I wasn't going to) and was really wishing I had worn my gloves too.

Homework is calling - we just finished spring break so I'm not complaining! It was very nice to not open any of my books for an entire week. I spent a lot of my break reading - something I don't get a chance to do anymore because there's so much reading to do for school that I do NOT have time to read for pleasure.

Random Baby/Kid Thoughts

I just spent a lovely weekend in the White Mountains with my friends, Phil & Cedar. I am so bleesed to have such friends; they love me unconditionally, even when I'm being stupid. Spending time with their young family can make me long for small children underfoot again (mine are 16, 14 and 9). I enjoy hearing the baby laugh - to him, everything is funny and everyone is on this earth for his pure enjoyment alone! My favorite time with him is when he's getting sleepy - I love the warmth he generates, his baby smells, and the wiggling as settles into the careless sleep of a baby without a care in the world. I can't have more children, but at this stage of my life, I'll take a weekend with Da Yo and be happy with it.

The girls - man, that littlest one - I could listen to her talk for hours! She's so imaginative it's scary! She has conversations with Barbie as if she were talking to an adult. The middle daughter is a scream! She has a reason for everything! She, too, is imaginative in her conversations. The oldest is so smart - she's got more knowledge and is more well spoken than most 7 year-olds I know. She also has the knack to ask questions that cut right to the chase! :)

Each weekend with them is like a balm for my soul. Even with their four children and my 9 year-old, it's a nice, quiet, chaos! I fill my need for another baby and have a chance to spend time with three intelligent adults, while my daughter has the experience of having three little sisters that just adore her! My daughter is patient - sometimes, though, you have to remind her that they're little girls and they love you. She manages to give each 'sister' their own time with her one on one which is amazing considering her age and the gaps in ages (the girls range in ages from 3-7). She also manages to communicate with each sister on their own levels. I'm amazed at the whole group of them!

Life - Don't Blink - You'll Miss It

I was reading my friend Cedar's blog this morning and she's inspired a train of thought for the morning. I recently turned 42 and my children range from 16 to 9. I look at these three wonderful humans and think, "They can't possibly be mine! I'm too YOUNG to have teens!" There are days when I feel like I'm 16 again...and days when I feel 96! Most days, though, it's more like 16; I keep waiting for my 'parents' to come home! As I hugged my youngest son good bye this morning, I noticed that he is indeed finally taller than I am - I stand 5'9 in my bare feet; he had sneakers on and I think he had a solid 2" on me! This baby was born nine weeks premature weighing only 4 lb 8 oz. I worried about him throughout my pregnancy and for months after his birth. He literally slept on my chest until he was five months old because I feared he would someone not live through the nights unless he was near me. He's now 14 and a handsome, strapping, young man, about to embark on his own life adventure. My oldest son is even taller - between the two of them I feel almost like a sapling between the redwoods. It's funny but sad at the same time - my babies are growing up and soon will fly out of the nest and start their own lives. That day will arrive all too soon and I wish I could put life on pause for a little bit and cherish the time I have now with these wonderful young people.

I spent 90% of their growing up as a stay at home mom. I returned to the workforce when my youngest child (my daughter) started kindergarten. I still work part time but also attend school full time. I spend the majority of my free time with my kids and am still very much an active participant in their lives. Much to their dismay, I still keep tabs on their whereabouts and know almost before they do, what they're doing! :)

My youngest 'baby' is also approach that time when hugging her ends up being a tear fest as I can't believe how tall she's getting and how mature she's turning. While she's only nine and still playing dolls, it's hard to think that in just nine short years, she'll be graduating high school and starting her adventure. We spend more time together since we are girls and like doing girly things together. She has had more of me these past nine years than her brothers did. I find myself sharing recipes (such as Cedar's ground beef stroganoff which is DELICIOUS!), teaching her how to do laundry, and helping her with homework. Of course I also do this with my boys - we call them LIFE LESSONS - but for some reason I spend more time sharing with her.

Life is a blur. Don't blink or you'll miss it!

Here We Go Again!

It's back to school here after a week-long vacation. The boys left grumbling and my daughter is just about ready to pop out the door. She's the only one excited about going back to school! She's cleaning out her backpack now and most of the papers can head right to the trash because they're from last week!

She and I spent four days in the mountains with our friends. They have four children and my daughter loves spending time with them. I like the adult friendships there and the kids all get along well. We get to share the excitement of loose teeth, a baby's rolling over and quite possibly a first word. It's a pleasant weekend even with five kids and four adults in the house! Cedar is a great cook and has shared many of her recipes with me. Tonight it's potato soup! It's sooo good! I also have a quart sized jar of honey made from Sandy's bees. I look forward to spreading that on some bisquits later (if I have time to make some!). Phil has shared some very cool balloon ideas that I'm going to definately try! I have homework to finish first - just a couple of little things to put the finishing touches on and then submit. One is a case study on a 72 year old woman and where she stands with her disability. Interesting enough. There's yet another A&P test tomorrow night - I think we're being tested to DEATH in this class!! I've studied but I'll put more time in tonight on the stuff. It's just lab material so it shouldn't be all that tough. I just have to remember how to type blood and do hematocrit testing.

I don't look forward to going outside today...it's below zero out and I'm cold just thinking about going outside! My feet are cold sitting here at the computer I think the door is leaking cold air. Looking out the door, it's looking like a very nice day - cold, but clear. No real clouds, the sky is a very pale blue. With it this cold, it's hard to think about putting up a garden this year. I'm thinking of snow or snap peas, beans, tomatoes, and maybe some squash. I have an 8' raised bed outside and I could easily build another one. I'll need a truckload of loam (it's all sand out there!) and some kind of drainage. Last garden, I had just put down some peastone for a shed foundation but I could scrape some from the pile that is left. Hmm, I think there's strawberries in the raised bed out there now - I'll have to see.

Time to get ready for work myself. It's just another day here in cold New Enland. If you don't like the weather, wait a minute - it'll change!

OH MY Aching EVERYTHING!

I've just spent the better part of two days working on flooring at my friend Wanda's house. What a chore! We did the bathroom floor on Sunday - has anyone ever moved an old fashioned steam radiator? The SOB was H-E-A-V-Y! I pride myself on being strong but this sucker just would not budge for me. We finally got the flooring down amid complaints from kids needing to pee, people wanting to shower, a cat needing a moment of privacy. My biggest thing was don't get the FLOOR WET YET!!

With Monday being a holiday we had yet another day to work on the kitchen floor. Now there's some interesting work! We had to cut out a piece of plywood and replace a piece that had rotted underneath the linoleum flooring that was down. Interesting ... that's all I'm going about that! Circular saws are NOT my favorite things to work with but I was getting pretty darned good by about noontime!!

We finally finished about 8pm (only took us just under twelve hours to do the entire kitchen!) It looks awesome! I had only one thing to say - the first person that scratches the floor has to replace it!!! I came up with the idea to put old socks on the legs of the tables and chairs until we can get those fuzzy things to go on the bottoms. It worked pretty well if I do say so myself! Once and a while I have a good idea - they don't happen often but boy when I do get a good idea - it's a doozy!!

Well now that my entire body aches, I'm off to study for yet ANOTHER A&P lab quiz Tuesday night. It's on sea urchins - pretty interesting stuff.

Time Slips Away

When life is busy, time has a way of slipping away. I haven't had a moment to write since my last post because I have been busy as a one armed paper hanger... School is in full swing - trying to coordinate assignment due dates has been one of the biggest hurdles I have had to face since starting back to school last April (05). I have a good course load this semester - Anatomy & Physiology II, Abnormal Psych, Health and Disability of the Elderly and Spanish for the Medical Professional. All of these courses are geared toward finally helping me get into and finish nursing school. Unfortunately I missed the deadline this year because my A&P I grade was only 70 and 78 is necessary to even apply. SO - we wait until next January. In the meantime, I'm still plugging along - taking whatever I can to finish my course work as well as take care of the prereqs needed for nursing.

I have made a few trips north to visit my friends - they have been such great friends that I wonder if I have been as good a friend to them as they have been to me. I just pray that I have been. Next week, I'm taking my daughter with me to spend four days in the mountains. We have such a good time visiting it's like a mini vacation for all of us! Even though I bring work, I find that I get it done so that I can enjoy my visit with them and get my work done! Sometimes Cedar helps with the math portion of my work; I can count on Phil to help me with the sociological aspect of things (he's got a great knack for making me stop to smell the coffee and relax); Sandy has been a fountain of knowledge in the medical field as well as other fields I'm exploring. I don't know what type of nursing I want to do yet but it's nice to have people that will let me bounce ideas off of them. It's amazing all the help I've gotten so far. I am so blessed to have awesome friends!

While I have awesome friends, I also have awesome kids! My kids have encouraged me all along this path towards nursing school - they've made me sandwiches while I study, graciously stopped playing the heavy metal so I can concentrate on the circulatory system, and have offered back and neck rubs as I sit hunched over my textbooks. What more could a gal want? They are the reason I decided to go back at my age (42 now). I want them to know that learning is a lifelong process, not something that only lasts 12 years or so. The day you stop learning is the day you start watching the grass grow from the wrong side!

Is it the Beginning or the End?

It's late Sunday evening (and late I mean it's 9:30 pm) and I'm finishing up my homework from one of my classes. I've just taken a test and scored 88% (wow! not too bad) Now on to studying for my lab quiz on Tuesday night. This all leads me to wonder if Sunday the beginning of the week or the end of a week? Am I gearing up for a new week or winding down an old week? Everything I've done is finishing something left from this past week. I have no new assignments yet, just previous ones to finish. I'm looking for a service project for one of my courses and I'd like to try and integrate two of my classes so that I can have benefit of the information for two separate papers. Time is limited so I need to 'double-dip' so to speak (IF I can!)

I've spent some time chatting with friends tonight (after all my homework was done, of course). The lousy weather we were expecting did show up in the form of snow, sleet, freezing rain and fog. We truly had a mixed bag of weather today. All I needed was a nice thunder and lightening storm to complete the bag. *grin*

New England Weather - Don't Like It? WAIT!

Just when we thought snow was in the forecast I wake up this morning to another beautiful day! Clear blue skies, maybe a few whispy little clouds but nothing that makes me want to prep the snow shovels again! Maybe clear out that last little patch from Mother's last little calling card (namely the 10" we had on Monday!).

I've got recycling duty today as well as some banking to do and other miscellaneous errands to run. I've spent most of the morning trying to track down a book I need for my distance spanish class. Batting zero! No one has it so I'm heading to the college bookstore on Monday afternoon to find this blinkin' book. I'm trying to keep up with my assignments as best as I can by surfing the web and finding different spanish grammar sites. I've managed to get most of the information I need for this weekend so hopefully I'm in good shape.

Tomorrow is Sunday - a day of rest. I have nothing on schedule right now except a birthday party in New Hampshire. Weather depending, I may not make the two-hour trip. I don't want to get snowed in up there again. Kids end up missing school and I lose work time. I'll pay attention this time and head home before the weather gets truly horrible. The trip itself isn't a bad one; it's just a lousy trip when the roads are nasty.

Here we go again

Well, as blue as the sky was a few days ago, I woke up to skies grayer than an old man's beard! The sky looks heavy with snow - remains to be seen if we'll actually see any white stuff today. Last night we got show showers (that's when Mother Nature can't make up her mind to snow or rain so she does BOTH!). The driveway is clear from the last storm on Monday that dumped almost 10" of snow on us. I'm ready for more - I actually like a fresh snow - makes everything seem clean, fresh, and new.

I'm working on schoolwork this morning. I realized last night that I do not have all my books yet! The bookstore is missing a key text in one of my classes. I wrote the instructor who said, yes, there are TWO books and six cds for this class. I have one book and seven cds. OK what's going on?! Have you ever tried to take a class in another language and NOT have a translation guide? Ya..that's what happened here - the main text is the translation guide. It's nice that I know how to say "Do you need a CAT scan?" but it's really sad that I can't count from one to ten or tell you what color your blood is in that language. Hopefully this situation will straighten out soon. Class started Monday and I'd hate to get behind.

First week jitters

Well it's done - my first week back in school after a five week break. Tonight was the dreaded Anatomy & Physiology. We started off slow - just started the endocrine system - only nine pages of notes in just about three hours! I have to go through them now while it's all still fresh in my head. We also had a two hour lab tonight and will have our first lab quiz next Tuesday night. The slides are bouncing around in my head - each one looked like a piece of steak to me! I have an idea of what each one was of and know some of the parts. Some of the names are exotic to me; like the Islet of Langerhans (it's part of a gland - check back next week and I'll tell you which one!)

I'm tired tonight but my brain feels like it's on fire with all the new information running through it. I need to remember last semester's notebook next week because we're going into mytosis and miosis and I know I have notes on it from last semester. Wish me well and think of me in the middle of the night as I burn the midnight oil studying hard.

The Day After

It's the day after a snow day and the kids are blessedly back in school. I love the day after a nice snow - the trees are all snow capped, the backyard mess has disappered for while and everything looks nice and clean. The sky is an amazing shade of cape cod blue with nary a cloud in any direction. The cat is sitting on the porch rail looking for a chickadee that doesn't see him. The birds around here are pretty smart though - they won't head for the feeders until he comes in the house. My big dog is outside lying in the sunshine soaking up rays and warming his old bones. He won't come in just yet - it's too nice a day to come into the house.

It's quiet right now - no one is here except me and the animals. I'm leaving shortly to pick up kids from school so I'm enjoying the few moments of solitude. I have my feet up, a cold drink next to me and I think if I close my eyes, I may just knock off for a minute. But there's no time for that - so down go the feet. Time to sit up straight and wake up. I have class tonight - Anatomy & Physiology Part 2 starts at 5pm and runs until the ungodly hour of 10 pm. This class goes for twelve weeks and is pretty intense (if Part 1 is any indicator!). It's the same professor so at least I know what I'm getting into with this class. My other three classes are currently running so now I'm into the scheduling thing - making sure I have plenty of study time as well as down time to have fun.

I have bouquets of flowers sitting behind me on my other desk - they're leftover from my birthday a few days ago. One is from my son and one is from his girlfriend (sweet kids). The smell makes me wish spring were coming but the seasons change fast enough for me. I can wait until spring comes because around here....with spring comes MUD! I'm happy with the just under a foot of snow for now.

Happy Birthday to Me

Today is my 42nd birthday - no grand plans. It's just another Saturday filled with have-to-do's like the weekly dump run (OH JOY) and basketball games. School has also started again after a three week break so there's the ever-present homework and reading that must be done lest I fall behind.

My one birthday luxury, though, is that I am STILL in my pj's at 9:20 am :) I'm heading for a nice long shower since there's only one other person in the house right now and he's in the semi-comatose sleep of teenagerdom. Ahh the appeal of endless hot water and no one to bang on the door and ask if I'm "done yet". It truly is the little things that mean the most. Those of us with children can really understand that last comment!