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!