Ahhh, what a day of frustrations. I'm stressing over Monday's exam and my ever increasing list of "things to do" as the semester winds down and Alisa's and my graduations draw near...all of which I'm eagerly anticipating. I realize that I cannot do everything and do it all well, so I have to choose my battles, but SHEESH! Let me just tell you about how today went...
Got up and got children off to school. Returned home by way of Walgreens (for much needed toilet paper and 50% off Easter candy) to complete and submit paperwork for clinical. Made Alisa's lunch and was about to run it to her and perform my weekly lunch monitor duty when the phone rang. It was Alisa, "Mom, could you bring my pencil bag and the bag with the gumdrops and hot glue gun?" "You bet, I'm on my way." I gathered the items, plus Alisa's lunch and some empty Frito Lay chip bags I'd been meaning to turn in since Spring Break (recycling project) and headed out the door. Lunch went smoothly (well, as smoothly as one can expect with the "Cafeteria Nazi," Mrs. J, screaming for the kids to "Quiet down" the entire half hour), and I returned home, reconciled the checkbook, made a call about an "other" charge on my mortgage statement and paid a couple of bills. I finished off half of a serving of spaghetti and planned to hit some review materials pretty hard when my eyes started feeling heavy. I figured I'd be much more productive after a little nap. {I should be studying.}
After the nap, I dragged out of bed and tried to strategize the remainder of my day-Wells Fargo to pay the mortgage, library to return/pick up books, post office to mail bills... Before I knew it it was time to pick up Alisa from school. She hopped into the car asking if I'd seen her math book at home (Great! Another lost item...that makes two for Alisa this week!). I don't remember seeing it. We went directly across town to hear the Gunn Jr. High Symphonic Band perform for the UIL competition at 4:10 {I should be studying} then made our way back across town to execute the above-mentioned errands-house note, library, post office before returning home. Alisa didn't find her book and began with her preteen melt down routine: whine, vent on Facebook, get angry, feel sorry for self, cry, etc. I got on the phone with the public library as I could have sworn that a librarian once told me that you could access textbooks online somehow. I was transferred here and there, and no one seemed to know what I was talking about. {I should be studying.} I wish I could have been more sensitive to Alisa's plight, but how many times have I suggested that she put her things away as soon as she's done with homework? In fact, it seems I had reminded her just last night to put her book and assignment away, and I thought she had.
Anyway, this is getting way too lengthy. I picked Aaron up from school after their return from competition, attended the 6th grade graduation meeting at Alisa's school (thought it started at 6:30, but realized at 6:10 that it had started at 6:00), returned home, made dinner (burgers on the G. Foreman & onion rings), did dishes {I should be studying}, put away food, helped with homework {I should be studying}, and prayed with my kids before they turned in 30 minutes past their bedtime-which in all actuality means 30 minutes into MY time.
I logged onto Software for Nurses to finish some case studies (both for class and for a review) and got bumped off halfway through the module--Aaarrrrggghhh! How can my computer be acting up when I only need it to cooperate for a few more weeks?! That's when I decided to get all of this off of my chest. The time is now almost 11 p.m. Mike is home from work, and I'm ready to turn in for the night (yeah, right!). I will finish at least one module before I do. I'll leave you with the following thought.
I remember my days as a Brownie (that's a precursor to Girl Scouts so you know that was a long, long time ago!) when we would end our meeting by joining hands in a circle singing the following lyrics to the tune of "Taps": Day is done, gone the sun, From the lake, from the hills, from the sky; All is well, safely rest, God is nigh. *sigh* Nice to know that at the end of even the most frustrating of days it's okay to rest securely in the knowledge that God is indeed nigh. Until next time...
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Pi Day
Hello, all! The "Pi" is not a type-o; it is a pun. Alisa's 6th grade math class has been learning about pi (as in 3.14...),and, so, just for fun they had their annual "Pi Day" celebration with an assortment of real honest to goodness pies. There were just about every assortment of pie you can think of, and the students had a fun time.
Now that I've gotten the "pleasantries" out of the way, let me get down to the real deal where this "Pi Day" was concerned! Anyone who knows me or follows this blog should have seen this coming! Each of the 60 sixth-grade students was asked to bring 2 pies to class. A note was sent hom extending an invitation for parents to attend, too, and eat pie with their student. Unfortunately, 12:45 in the afternoon isn't quite conducive to many work schedules. About a dozen parents showed up. Let me be a little more optimistic than that: two dozen parents showed up. Other faculty and staff were also invited to partake of the pie party. As I mentioned, the festivities began at 12:45. Let's just do a little math for a moment, why don't we: 60 students times 2 pies each = 120 pies. Now, let's say we divided each pie into 8 servings: that's 960 slices of pie for how many people?! Less than a hundred. The way it worked out, each participant could have had a pie and a half to themselves! That's one "problem" as I see things: way too much pie and no "back up plan" for what to do with extras! Don't let me get on my "poor starving college student" soapbox about how coming up with money for extra stuff like this is a real sacrifice for some families, and for it to go to waste is wrong on so many levels. At any rate, my second "beef" is that kids brought lots of cream pies (chocolate and coconut seemed to be popular), but they stayed out at room temperature all morning. Talk about a mess! Do you recall me saying there were over 100 pies? Well, guess how many pie serving utensils there were? If you guessed about 5 or 6 then you win. Why not ask the parents who agreed to attend and/or help with Pi Day to bring a labeled utensil or two? Don't some of the grocery stores (like Tom Thumb) give a free plastic cutter/server when you buy from their bakery?
We (the room mom and handful of parents in attendance) tried to organize the pies a little so that there was a method to our madness--fruit pies on that side of the cafeteria, cream pies on this side. Kids were practically sticking their noses in the pies to savor the aroma, servers were licking their fingers. One kid had the nerve to put the can of whipped cream that I brought for Alisa's lemon pies up to his mouth as if he were about to spray it directly into his mouth. I put a swift end to that nonsense. Kids ate pie and more pie until they were green around the gills. Some took their unopened pies back to class with them, and there were still dozens of pies stacked in the teacher's lounge once everything was said and done.
When I asked one of the 6th grade teachers why they didn't just request that each student bring one pie, I was told that sometimes the cream pies are more popular and the fruit pies are usually left. Okay, so why not have students sign up for what they're going to bring? I mean, even if only 25% of the students brought pie (25% of 60 is 15 times 8 slices per pie = 120 slices), everyone could have at least one slice. And, if they cut small slices (now there's a novel idea), people could sample several kinds of pie without wasting so much. I know I'm making it a lot more complicated-the proverbial mountain out of a molehill, but it just seems that there could be a better way than to waste all of those pies (and the time and energy for those of us who actually took the time to make a pie or bake the frozen ones). Okay, I'm stepping down off of my soapbox now. My bed is calling my name. Good night! Until next time...
Now that I've gotten the "pleasantries" out of the way, let me get down to the real deal where this "Pi Day" was concerned! Anyone who knows me or follows this blog should have seen this coming! Each of the 60 sixth-grade students was asked to bring 2 pies to class. A note was sent hom extending an invitation for parents to attend, too, and eat pie with their student. Unfortunately, 12:45 in the afternoon isn't quite conducive to many work schedules. About a dozen parents showed up. Let me be a little more optimistic than that: two dozen parents showed up. Other faculty and staff were also invited to partake of the pie party. As I mentioned, the festivities began at 12:45. Let's just do a little math for a moment, why don't we: 60 students times 2 pies each = 120 pies. Now, let's say we divided each pie into 8 servings: that's 960 slices of pie for how many people?! Less than a hundred. The way it worked out, each participant could have had a pie and a half to themselves! That's one "problem" as I see things: way too much pie and no "back up plan" for what to do with extras! Don't let me get on my "poor starving college student" soapbox about how coming up with money for extra stuff like this is a real sacrifice for some families, and for it to go to waste is wrong on so many levels. At any rate, my second "beef" is that kids brought lots of cream pies (chocolate and coconut seemed to be popular), but they stayed out at room temperature all morning. Talk about a mess! Do you recall me saying there were over 100 pies? Well, guess how many pie serving utensils there were? If you guessed about 5 or 6 then you win. Why not ask the parents who agreed to attend and/or help with Pi Day to bring a labeled utensil or two? Don't some of the grocery stores (like Tom Thumb) give a free plastic cutter/server when you buy from their bakery?
We (the room mom and handful of parents in attendance) tried to organize the pies a little so that there was a method to our madness--fruit pies on that side of the cafeteria, cream pies on this side. Kids were practically sticking their noses in the pies to savor the aroma, servers were licking their fingers. One kid had the nerve to put the can of whipped cream that I brought for Alisa's lemon pies up to his mouth as if he were about to spray it directly into his mouth. I put a swift end to that nonsense. Kids ate pie and more pie until they were green around the gills. Some took their unopened pies back to class with them, and there were still dozens of pies stacked in the teacher's lounge once everything was said and done.
When I asked one of the 6th grade teachers why they didn't just request that each student bring one pie, I was told that sometimes the cream pies are more popular and the fruit pies are usually left. Okay, so why not have students sign up for what they're going to bring? I mean, even if only 25% of the students brought pie (25% of 60 is 15 times 8 slices per pie = 120 slices), everyone could have at least one slice. And, if they cut small slices (now there's a novel idea), people could sample several kinds of pie without wasting so much. I know I'm making it a lot more complicated-the proverbial mountain out of a molehill, but it just seems that there could be a better way than to waste all of those pies (and the time and energy for those of us who actually took the time to make a pie or bake the frozen ones). Okay, I'm stepping down off of my soapbox now. My bed is calling my name. Good night! Until next time...
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Oh My Ducklings!
Of all of the present chaos in my life, Monday 3/22/10 was a particularly crazy day. It started as I was leaving home to head to campus for my Cardiovascular/Respiratory exam. Yes, we had a exam at 8 a.m. on the Monday following Spring Break! A mother duck and 6-8 of her ducklings were waddling beside and under my minivan. I ran back inside to grab my camera and tell Alisa to come and see since she was already up and getting ready to leave for school. The ducks had all gone under my car so I couldn't really snap a good picture; and, now I was getting concerned about getting them out from under there so I could be on my way. I did not want to be late for the exam. I ran back inside and grabbed a couple slices of bread and tried to lure the water fowl from under my vehicle. It worked but they then got under Mike's car, so I had to warn him that they were there, so back inside I ran (again). At last I was off to school.
When I returned, I saw the mother duck in the dirt under my kitchen window. I could also hear her babies but couldn't see them. There is a large pine branch on the ground up against the house, and I figured the ducklings were hiding out under the pine needles. I didn't want to disturb them or Mama Duck so I went on inside. Later, I was leaving to pick up Alisa & Aaron from school. I noticed Mama Duck pacing around where she had been resting in the dirt. I could still hear the babies but couldn't see them. Then I spotted the PVC pipe sticking up just above ground level where Mama Duck was. I thought to myself, "Surely the ducklings aren't down there!" and went to investigate further. I kept an eye on Mama Duck and approached the drain pipe slowly and cautiously. My heartrate picked up as I heard the magnified voices of the little ducklings coming from inside the pipe. I could see one or two ducklings clambering to get out, but it was too deep and too steep for them to make any progress. I ran back inside for my phone book so I could call City of Arlington Animal Services. They said they would send someone out. Upon my return from playing school yard taxi, I made a bee line for the kitchen where I could watch for the animal services truck and knock out a few dishes at the same time.
Within the hour the Animal Services officer arrived. He checked out the situation and retrieved his "pinchers on a pole" gadget from the truck--you know that thing they always use to hold dogs and snakes a couple of arm's lengths away from themselves. It reminded me of the dinosaur head "pincher" sourvenirs from the zoo where you grip the handle and T-Rex's mouth opens and shuts. Anyway, Officer Robert tried a few times without any luck. He tried dangling a noose which looked like a yellow nylon dog leash down the hole in the hopes that one of the ducklings would pop up from the curve of the pipe long enough to cinch the noose and drag him to safety. Again, no such luck. So, he called for backup...one of his fellow officers was going to bring a Shop-Vac and see if we could suction the ducklings out. They planned to use the small attachment on the end of the hose in order to "pick up" the duckling without sucking him into the cansiter. While we awaited the arrival of the other officer, Officer Robert located Mama Duck's nest in my front yard with three eggs still in it. We chatted about the state of Animal Services in Arlington, TX--a pretty dreary situation in light of all of the recent economic set backs and spending cuts. I learned that coyotes are on the prowl gobbling down stray cats and feral pigs are on the loose in North Arlington. Some man was recently prosecuted for having a warehouse near Hwy 360 and Mayfield Rd full of exotic "pets" as in poisonous snakes & spiders, lizards, wallabies, monkeys, etc. Who knew?!
Help arrived and the poor ducklings probably ran/swam for their lives when they heard that scary sounding vacuum amplified by the enclosed PVC pipe. It didn't really work, either, but the back up officer was able to rescue two of the ducklings with the pincher on a pole thing. Mama Duck paced around us and back and forth across the street to my neighbor's flower bed where she had nested the year before. It must have been driving her crazy to hear her babies and not be able to find them. Neighbors I'd never seen before stopped by to see what all the commotion was about. My neighbors from across the street came to join the mayhem as well wanting to know what we'd found. I'm certain they were relieved to hear the word ducklings instead of snake. We could still hear at least one more duckling down the pipe, but try as they might, the officers just couldn't manage to grab him. They placed a call to a lady who rehabilitates wild birds in her home and left with the two ducklings but not Mama Duck whom they said would probably reject the babies since they'd been handled by humans. I wasn't so sure. Mama Duck stood in the street near the Animal Services truck listening to her 2 frightened and cold babies call for her. My heart just about broke for her and her babies, including the ones still down in the drainpipe. Tears threatened as the apologetic officers drove off about 1 1/2 hours after their initial arrival.
At the officers' suggestion I went by Ace Hardware store to buy a cover for that pipe. I could still hear the baby duckling(s) down there and just couldn't think of what else to do to rescue them. Though it was getting darker by the minute, I grabbed Mike's shop light and extension cord and a long pine branch and wrapped it with duct tape (sticky side up) in hopes that the little critter might be able to hop up far enough to stick to the tape so I could pull him out--so what if he lost a patch of his downy feathers in the process. They'd grow back. It didn't work. I stuffed down a pine branch with green pine needles on it thinking that maybe, just maybe it would be enough for the duckling to climb on board and ride out to safety. Negative. I left the stick in the hole overnight just in case.
When I awoke early the next morning to head to my clinical rotation at the hospital, Mama duck was sitting on top of the hole with the pine branch sticking out of it. Bless her heart.
That evening, Mama Duck was gone. I removed the branch and heard nothing. I'm going to imagine that the remaining ducklings managed to paddle their way down the pipe which came out near the pond at California Lane Park where they me an "Auntie Duck" who cleaned and fed them and took them in with her own little brood of ducklings. They're all living happily ever after. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it! Until next time....
When I returned, I saw the mother duck in the dirt under my kitchen window. I could also hear her babies but couldn't see them. There is a large pine branch on the ground up against the house, and I figured the ducklings were hiding out under the pine needles. I didn't want to disturb them or Mama Duck so I went on inside. Later, I was leaving to pick up Alisa & Aaron from school. I noticed Mama Duck pacing around where she had been resting in the dirt. I could still hear the babies but couldn't see them. Then I spotted the PVC pipe sticking up just above ground level where Mama Duck was. I thought to myself, "Surely the ducklings aren't down there!" and went to investigate further. I kept an eye on Mama Duck and approached the drain pipe slowly and cautiously. My heartrate picked up as I heard the magnified voices of the little ducklings coming from inside the pipe. I could see one or two ducklings clambering to get out, but it was too deep and too steep for them to make any progress. I ran back inside for my phone book so I could call City of Arlington Animal Services. They said they would send someone out. Upon my return from playing school yard taxi, I made a bee line for the kitchen where I could watch for the animal services truck and knock out a few dishes at the same time.
Within the hour the Animal Services officer arrived. He checked out the situation and retrieved his "pinchers on a pole" gadget from the truck--you know that thing they always use to hold dogs and snakes a couple of arm's lengths away from themselves. It reminded me of the dinosaur head "pincher" sourvenirs from the zoo where you grip the handle and T-Rex's mouth opens and shuts. Anyway, Officer Robert tried a few times without any luck. He tried dangling a noose which looked like a yellow nylon dog leash down the hole in the hopes that one of the ducklings would pop up from the curve of the pipe long enough to cinch the noose and drag him to safety. Again, no such luck. So, he called for backup...one of his fellow officers was going to bring a Shop-Vac and see if we could suction the ducklings out. They planned to use the small attachment on the end of the hose in order to "pick up" the duckling without sucking him into the cansiter. While we awaited the arrival of the other officer, Officer Robert located Mama Duck's nest in my front yard with three eggs still in it. We chatted about the state of Animal Services in Arlington, TX--a pretty dreary situation in light of all of the recent economic set backs and spending cuts. I learned that coyotes are on the prowl gobbling down stray cats and feral pigs are on the loose in North Arlington. Some man was recently prosecuted for having a warehouse near Hwy 360 and Mayfield Rd full of exotic "pets" as in poisonous snakes & spiders, lizards, wallabies, monkeys, etc. Who knew?!
Help arrived and the poor ducklings probably ran/swam for their lives when they heard that scary sounding vacuum amplified by the enclosed PVC pipe. It didn't really work, either, but the back up officer was able to rescue two of the ducklings with the pincher on a pole thing. Mama Duck paced around us and back and forth across the street to my neighbor's flower bed where she had nested the year before. It must have been driving her crazy to hear her babies and not be able to find them. Neighbors I'd never seen before stopped by to see what all the commotion was about. My neighbors from across the street came to join the mayhem as well wanting to know what we'd found. I'm certain they were relieved to hear the word ducklings instead of snake. We could still hear at least one more duckling down the pipe, but try as they might, the officers just couldn't manage to grab him. They placed a call to a lady who rehabilitates wild birds in her home and left with the two ducklings but not Mama Duck whom they said would probably reject the babies since they'd been handled by humans. I wasn't so sure. Mama Duck stood in the street near the Animal Services truck listening to her 2 frightened and cold babies call for her. My heart just about broke for her and her babies, including the ones still down in the drainpipe. Tears threatened as the apologetic officers drove off about 1 1/2 hours after their initial arrival.
At the officers' suggestion I went by Ace Hardware store to buy a cover for that pipe. I could still hear the baby duckling(s) down there and just couldn't think of what else to do to rescue them. Though it was getting darker by the minute, I grabbed Mike's shop light and extension cord and a long pine branch and wrapped it with duct tape (sticky side up) in hopes that the little critter might be able to hop up far enough to stick to the tape so I could pull him out--so what if he lost a patch of his downy feathers in the process. They'd grow back. It didn't work. I stuffed down a pine branch with green pine needles on it thinking that maybe, just maybe it would be enough for the duckling to climb on board and ride out to safety. Negative. I left the stick in the hole overnight just in case.
When I awoke early the next morning to head to my clinical rotation at the hospital, Mama duck was sitting on top of the hole with the pine branch sticking out of it. Bless her heart.
That evening, Mama Duck was gone. I removed the branch and heard nothing. I'm going to imagine that the remaining ducklings managed to paddle their way down the pipe which came out near the pond at California Lane Park where they me an "Auntie Duck" who cleaned and fed them and took them in with her own little brood of ducklings. They're all living happily ever after. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it! Until next time....
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Irish blessing
Guess we've all fallen behind in our blogging. Spring Break is just around the corner, and I could use the break! I have a professional paper to complete along with my mid-term self evaluation and paperwork from today's patients before I can officially say my "break" has begun. Then, I have an exam at 8 a.m. on the Monday after Spring Break, so really my break will be spent studying cardiomyopathy and different types of shock, etc. I also need to be activly seeking employment. I am looking forward to balancing out the studying/job search with some fun with "the folks" (my grandmother and parents) and "the kids" (my two plus a niece and nephew) in a condo somewhere near Houston, TX.
In honor of upcoming St. Patrick's Day, I just wanted to share a familiar poem my cousin forwarded to me:
Good night for now. Until next time...
In honor of upcoming St. Patrick's Day, I just wanted to share a familiar poem my cousin forwarded to me:
May there always be work for your hands to do,
May your purse always hold a coin or two.
May the sun always shine on your windowpane,
May a rainbow be certain to follow the rain.
May the hand of a friend always be near you
May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you!
Good night for now. Until next time...
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
smile, breathe, relax
Well, folks, I survived the first day of Complex Adult clinical and lived to tell about it! I wasn't sure if that would be the case about 72 hours ago. Let me start back before Christmas...
As soon as class assignments were made, I received an e-mail from my "new" instructor for the Spring semester. His e-mail said he was passing this information along before we the students quit checking our Campus Cruiser inboxes over the holidays because the e-mail contained information that needed to be completed prior to the beginning of the Spring semester. I glanced at it, and even opened one of the attachments. It appeared to be a one page electronic request for computer access for Texas Health Resource facilities (you know, fill in your last name, first name, school ID#, etc.). I figured that would take about 5 whole minutes, but I saved it because I thought surely, I'd have to actually be registered for my spring classes before I could receive the computer access. Long story short, the week before classes begin I finally concoct a way to scrape up half of my tuition and register for classes on the "payment plan." Then, I go to the Texas Health Resource attachment and discover that the 5-minute one page request for computer access takes 5-7 business days to process AND there are modules (online computer assignments) I need to complete before class on Tuesday. I didn't have 5-7 business days! I barely had 3, and one of those was Monday, January 18, which I wasn't sure would be considered a business day since it was the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. I wrote in the "comment" box on the 0ne-page application that I would sincerely appreciate them expediting the processing of my application as I had modules to complete before class on Tuesday. My heart still racing, I frantically pulled up the letter explaining the business about the modules and took down the name of the nurse who had signed it. I called the hospital education department and was put through to someone other than Michelle Hampton, so I left a detailed message. The unknown person called me back promptly (could probably hear the desperation in my voice), and passed on Ms. Hampton's direct telephone number to me. I called Ms. Hampton's number and again left a similar message explaining my plight and my request for assistance in gaining immediate access to complete the modules. By this time I'd consulted a couple of classmates who said the modules take "hours and hours and hours" to complete. I never heard back from Ms. Hampton that day or over the weekend. I kept checking for access every few hours to no avail.
On Monday morning, nails bitten to the quick, I decided I'd better come clean with my instructor and explain why I had put off the request for access and thus been unable to complete the modules. All I could think of was my semester is shot. I may be sent straight home on the first day of clinicals for not being prepared. I've gotten off on the wrong foot with an instructor who is in the Navy for crying out loud. I anticipated a shaking in my boots "Sir, no sir!" response to his drill-sergeant inquiry regarding the completion of the modules. Visions of camouflage and push ups and...
I contacted my instructor via e-mail thinking it would be better for him to have a head's up than for me to spring it on him in front of the class; and I continued checking for some miracle of computer access. Late Monday morning I did hear back from Ms. Hampton: there was nothing she or anyone else could do to expedite the processing of my request. Her advice was to just keep checking periodically. I had done what I could. Now it was just a waiting game: wait for access; wait to hear back from my instructor. I went on with the business of driving to the hospital to get my parking permit and find our meeting place. The last thing I wanted to do was get lost and show up late on top of everything else. I practiced math problems and stopped by the dealership for them to check whether or not I had an oil leak (I'd been in the week before for an oil change and they suspected a leak and put die in my oil pump, but that's another story in and of itself). I read a bit of Same Kind of Different as Me while I waited, certain that it would be my last reading just for the heck of it probably until after June 1st. On the way home I stopped by the grocery store to pick up a few basics for our lunches for the remainder of the week.
When I finally made it home and immediately shoo-ed the kids off the computer so I could check for new e-mails and computer access, I had a reply from my instructor to my previous e-mail. "Here we go," I thought as I nervously clicked on the link to open the message. He had 3 steps listed: Step #1 smile, breathe, relax; Step #2 we'll talk about the computers tomorrow; #3 repeat step #1. I did exactly as he suggested (still didn't have computer access so what could I do anyway?) and thought to myself that everything would be all right. I'm going to adopt his advice as my philosophy of life to get through the next 16 weeks: smile, breathe and relax. This is the home stretch after all. That pinpoint of light at the end of the tunnel is growing brighter by the week, and I'm getting excited.
I survived the first day of clinicals. The entire class aced the math exam. Mr. McGraw is a complete riot who obviously loves what he does--from both the teaching and nursing perspectives. He's not big on lots of paperwork but is focused on us improving our performance and ability to put it all together. He seems quite knowledgable on all matters of life during and after nursing school. I get the distinct feeling that our success is his success as well. I plan to make us both proud. That's quite enough for now I suppose. I've been working on the modules on and off for the last 24 hours, and I still have a little ways to go, so I'll close for the time being. Until next time...
As soon as class assignments were made, I received an e-mail from my "new" instructor for the Spring semester. His e-mail said he was passing this information along before we the students quit checking our Campus Cruiser inboxes over the holidays because the e-mail contained information that needed to be completed prior to the beginning of the Spring semester. I glanced at it, and even opened one of the attachments. It appeared to be a one page electronic request for computer access for Texas Health Resource facilities (you know, fill in your last name, first name, school ID#, etc.). I figured that would take about 5 whole minutes, but I saved it because I thought surely, I'd have to actually be registered for my spring classes before I could receive the computer access. Long story short, the week before classes begin I finally concoct a way to scrape up half of my tuition and register for classes on the "payment plan." Then, I go to the Texas Health Resource attachment and discover that the 5-minute one page request for computer access takes 5-7 business days to process AND there are modules (online computer assignments) I need to complete before class on Tuesday. I didn't have 5-7 business days! I barely had 3, and one of those was Monday, January 18, which I wasn't sure would be considered a business day since it was the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. I wrote in the "comment" box on the 0ne-page application that I would sincerely appreciate them expediting the processing of my application as I had modules to complete before class on Tuesday. My heart still racing, I frantically pulled up the letter explaining the business about the modules and took down the name of the nurse who had signed it. I called the hospital education department and was put through to someone other than Michelle Hampton, so I left a detailed message. The unknown person called me back promptly (could probably hear the desperation in my voice), and passed on Ms. Hampton's direct telephone number to me. I called Ms. Hampton's number and again left a similar message explaining my plight and my request for assistance in gaining immediate access to complete the modules. By this time I'd consulted a couple of classmates who said the modules take "hours and hours and hours" to complete. I never heard back from Ms. Hampton that day or over the weekend. I kept checking for access every few hours to no avail.
On Monday morning, nails bitten to the quick, I decided I'd better come clean with my instructor and explain why I had put off the request for access and thus been unable to complete the modules. All I could think of was my semester is shot. I may be sent straight home on the first day of clinicals for not being prepared. I've gotten off on the wrong foot with an instructor who is in the Navy for crying out loud. I anticipated a shaking in my boots "Sir, no sir!" response to his drill-sergeant inquiry regarding the completion of the modules. Visions of camouflage and push ups and...
I contacted my instructor via e-mail thinking it would be better for him to have a head's up than for me to spring it on him in front of the class; and I continued checking for some miracle of computer access. Late Monday morning I did hear back from Ms. Hampton: there was nothing she or anyone else could do to expedite the processing of my request. Her advice was to just keep checking periodically. I had done what I could. Now it was just a waiting game: wait for access; wait to hear back from my instructor. I went on with the business of driving to the hospital to get my parking permit and find our meeting place. The last thing I wanted to do was get lost and show up late on top of everything else. I practiced math problems and stopped by the dealership for them to check whether or not I had an oil leak (I'd been in the week before for an oil change and they suspected a leak and put die in my oil pump, but that's another story in and of itself). I read a bit of Same Kind of Different as Me while I waited, certain that it would be my last reading just for the heck of it probably until after June 1st. On the way home I stopped by the grocery store to pick up a few basics for our lunches for the remainder of the week.
When I finally made it home and immediately shoo-ed the kids off the computer so I could check for new e-mails and computer access, I had a reply from my instructor to my previous e-mail. "Here we go," I thought as I nervously clicked on the link to open the message. He had 3 steps listed: Step #1 smile, breathe, relax; Step #2 we'll talk about the computers tomorrow; #3 repeat step #1. I did exactly as he suggested (still didn't have computer access so what could I do anyway?) and thought to myself that everything would be all right. I'm going to adopt his advice as my philosophy of life to get through the next 16 weeks: smile, breathe and relax. This is the home stretch after all. That pinpoint of light at the end of the tunnel is growing brighter by the week, and I'm getting excited.
I survived the first day of clinicals. The entire class aced the math exam. Mr. McGraw is a complete riot who obviously loves what he does--from both the teaching and nursing perspectives. He's not big on lots of paperwork but is focused on us improving our performance and ability to put it all together. He seems quite knowledgable on all matters of life during and after nursing school. I get the distinct feeling that our success is his success as well. I plan to make us both proud. That's quite enough for now I suppose. I've been working on the modules on and off for the last 24 hours, and I still have a little ways to go, so I'll close for the time being. Until next time...
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
First things first
Well, this should be a continuation of the previous entry about focusing on a task per month. Mike, the kids and I had a "family huddle" this evening because the first things first just doesn't seem to be getting off of the ground and the month is almost halfway over. I have wonderful kids, but the "tweenage" attitude is getting to me big time. I dare not say, "Grow up!" because they're doing that way too fast as it is. I'm afraid to tell them if they want to be treated like adults then they must act like adults because the truth is they are still kids. They
be acting like kids. I always have a fear/vision of them getting into "adult" trouble and coming back at me with, "You told me to act like an adult; so that's what I was doing."
I guess I'm getting a little frustrated that I will be back in school next week and I feel like this week has been a nightmare. Everyone seems to be falling right back into their self-centered modes: dishwasher? why do I have to empty the dishwasher? I'll just watch my favorite programs on TV then study for my midterm exams. etc...
When asked what the phrase "first things first" means to them, Aaron, Alisa and Mike responded (respectively) as follows: "Do what you need to do; then do what you want." "Prioritize." "Take care of what you need to do right now before you start doing anything else." I concurred that they were all great answers. One can obviously see that understanding is not the problem; implementation is. I leave them alone and they don't do the right thing. I nag and remind and they still don't do the right thing without a bunch of eye-rolling and arms crossed over the chest. I'll keep on keeping on as I have relatively few options at this point. Please help pray us through all of this...Good night; until next time...
be acting like kids. I always have a fear/vision of them getting into "adult" trouble and coming back at me with, "You told me to act like an adult; so that's what I was doing."
I guess I'm getting a little frustrated that I will be back in school next week and I feel like this week has been a nightmare. Everyone seems to be falling right back into their self-centered modes: dishwasher? why do I have to empty the dishwasher? I'll just watch my favorite programs on TV then study for my midterm exams. etc...
When asked what the phrase "first things first" means to them, Aaron, Alisa and Mike responded (respectively) as follows: "Do what you need to do; then do what you want." "Prioritize." "Take care of what you need to do right now before you start doing anything else." I concurred that they were all great answers. One can obviously see that understanding is not the problem; implementation is. I leave them alone and they don't do the right thing. I nag and remind and they still don't do the right thing without a bunch of eye-rolling and arms crossed over the chest. I'll keep on keeping on as I have relatively few options at this point. Please help pray us through all of this...Good night; until next time...
Sunday, January 3, 2010
A strategy
It's only the third of January and already I feel like I'm about 345 days behind where I'd like to be. I tell Mike and the kids all of the time about the concept of intentionality. It's not enough to simply desire something (as in I wish my house was clean) or just intend to do something. You must formulate a plan, set measurable goals and take action for your "desire" or intention to come to fruition. So, I have decided I need a strategy for my family to all come together and participate to achieve some goals that will make our household run more smoothly and efficiently. I've decided to focus on one task or concept for each month of the year, so I need 12 ideas that are general enough that they can include more than one or two tasks but specific enough to not be overwhelming. I'm putting this in my blog of all places so that I can refer back to it on the one hand and maybe receive input from outsiders on the other hand. I'll put down what I have so far, and maybe you can help me add to them. These are for my own benefit as well as my kids. Some months back we developed a weekly menu planning "aide":
Mama Mia Monday (spaghetti, lasagna, pasta & alfredo), Tex-Mex Tuesday (tacos, enchilada casserole, taquitos & beans), One-dish Wednesday (casseroles, soups, stews), Luby's (leftovers) night Thursday, Finger Food Friday (burgers, pizza & such). Suggestions are always welcome from anyone who wants to offer their input about the menu. We don't always follow it religiously, but this way people know what to expect, and it makes grocery shopping for the week a lot easier. Anyway, I digress...my point was that organization (my ultimate goal in life) is much more effective when everyone is involved and they feel their input is taken seriously.
January: First things first
This will be a lesson in prioritizing or learning what is a "must do" vs a "wanna do." The kids will focus on emptying the dishwasher/recycling and completing homework before firing up games and the television. I will focus on staying on task: finish one thing before I start another (or at least have a plan to complete what I start within reason)
February: A place for everything
This will be a challenge for sure. We have accumulated so much stuff in just under 16 years it is unbelievable! From my "Sanford and Son" husband who thinks everyone's cast-offs are great deals to my ever-increasing supply of scrapbook stuff (and ever decreasing amount of time to dedicate to my craft), to the kids' old toys, games, etc, to just plain, old-fashioned clutter! I think we'll start by putting stuff that has a place in it's proper place then focus the remainder of the month on designating places for stuff that just tends to lie around.
March: Everything in it's place
This is kind of a natural progression or continuation of February's finding a place for everything goal.
April: Free to Be Clutter Free
I just liked the play on my favorite kids' video Free to Be You and Me. Don't really have a "plan in mind for this title, but I'll keep thinking. Actually, this should be the month we focus on getting the outdoors ready summer entertaining, too. Feel free to jump in there and add a comment below.
May: (this is finals and graduation month; maintaining one's sanity may be the main focus here)
June: If you don't know, let it go
Once the kids are out of school and I'm done with the NCLEX-RN exam, we can focus on some much-needed purging. If you don't know where all the parts are...if you don't know the last time you've worn it...if you don't know how long it's been in there...it's time to let it go!
Well, that's at least half of the year. I'll continue this dialogue at another time. I'm thinking July may have something to do with healthy living and eating for the summer (as in maintaining some semblance of a schedule/routine that includes healthy snacks, exercise and plenty of rest). Until next time...
Mama Mia Monday (spaghetti, lasagna, pasta & alfredo), Tex-Mex Tuesday (tacos, enchilada casserole, taquitos & beans), One-dish Wednesday (casseroles, soups, stews), Luby's (leftovers) night Thursday, Finger Food Friday (burgers, pizza & such). Suggestions are always welcome from anyone who wants to offer their input about the menu. We don't always follow it religiously, but this way people know what to expect, and it makes grocery shopping for the week a lot easier. Anyway, I digress...my point was that organization (my ultimate goal in life) is much more effective when everyone is involved and they feel their input is taken seriously.
January: First things first
This will be a lesson in prioritizing or learning what is a "must do" vs a "wanna do." The kids will focus on emptying the dishwasher/recycling and completing homework before firing up games and the television. I will focus on staying on task: finish one thing before I start another (or at least have a plan to complete what I start within reason)
February: A place for everything
This will be a challenge for sure. We have accumulated so much stuff in just under 16 years it is unbelievable! From my "Sanford and Son" husband who thinks everyone's cast-offs are great deals to my ever-increasing supply of scrapbook stuff (and ever decreasing amount of time to dedicate to my craft), to the kids' old toys, games, etc, to just plain, old-fashioned clutter! I think we'll start by putting stuff that has a place in it's proper place then focus the remainder of the month on designating places for stuff that just tends to lie around.
March: Everything in it's place
This is kind of a natural progression or continuation of February's finding a place for everything goal.
April: Free to Be Clutter Free
I just liked the play on my favorite kids' video Free to Be You and Me. Don't really have a "plan in mind for this title, but I'll keep thinking. Actually, this should be the month we focus on getting the outdoors ready summer entertaining, too. Feel free to jump in there and add a comment below.
May: (this is finals and graduation month; maintaining one's sanity may be the main focus here)
June: If you don't know, let it go
Once the kids are out of school and I'm done with the NCLEX-RN exam, we can focus on some much-needed purging. If you don't know where all the parts are...if you don't know the last time you've worn it...if you don't know how long it's been in there...it's time to let it go!
Well, that's at least half of the year. I'll continue this dialogue at another time. I'm thinking July may have something to do with healthy living and eating for the summer (as in maintaining some semblance of a schedule/routine that includes healthy snacks, exercise and plenty of rest). Until next time...
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